In The Shadow Of The Oak
by Royal Ember
Summary: Upon their first rising, every vampire is told of Fated Mates, a marked human destined for their vampire soulmate and whose blood can bring either power, or the True Death. Orphaned and then adopted by a vampire family, Alex meets her mate to young, and is forced to forget. For if any discover that Death has a Fated Mate not only her own existence, but his, will be in grave danger.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews. A special thanks goes to Midnat who always patiently listens to me babble about my story ideas, and who is a great sounding board. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own True Blood, otherwise Godric would never have fried. Enjoy the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

He ran.

He was the fastest of all his family, and although he understood the reason for his Maker's choice in commanding him to take his little sister to safety, it rankled that he had had to leave his bloodline to fight without him.

"Josiah, I'm c-cold." she whimpered, and he frowned down at her red cheeks. Even through the spelled sheet that muffled her natural scent, he could barely smell her illness, just as he could somewhat smell the dried blood from the wound on her leg. The scent pulled at him, pulled at his instincts to keep any harm from touching her. Her kind was sacred to vampires, and so very, very rare in the present day.

"I know, sweets. We will be there soon," he said soothingly. Carefully he listened for any pursuers, but only the sounds of nightlife and distant cars reached his ears.

"I want my daddy. And our brothers. Please, Josiah."

He sighed and put on another burst of speed as he saw the lights of the city ahead of him. From one step to the next he shuddered when he walked through an invisible wall of power. It had been several decades since last he had been to Dallas, but he would never forget the cold power of the Ancient vampire Sheriff that blanketed both the city and miles of the surrounding suburbs that clearly outlined his territory. After feeling that power, very few vampires dared to step out of line.

"What…what was that?" his sister asked weakly.

He was confused, perhaps it was a quirk of just what his sister was, but he did not think she would be able to feel vampire auras for several more years. "You could feel that?"

"Mmhm. Warm. Fuzzy." she mumbled as her head lolled on his arm.

Warm? It had to be the fever talking, he decided. In no way was the boy Death's power considered 'warm' or 'fuzzy'. Terrifying, yes. Warm and fuzzy, no. "I will leave you with the Sheriff, sweets, and he will protect you while I go back to help our family."

She shuddered in his arms, and clenched her small hands in his shirt. "Don't leave me."

"I know you're scared," he soothed and quickly skirted through the shadowed suburbs. "It will be okay. We've told you bedtime stories of the Gaul, and his Viking son. Remember?"

At her silence he glanced down and frowned at the deeper hue of her cheeks and the black shadows under her eyes. "If only my blood could heal you," he muttered and continued to speed towards the city.

The last few minutes of the journey were the hardest, as he could feel his little sister's body burn hotter with fever. Her scent slowly started to seep beyond the magicked sheet as the spell began to crack, and he thanked the gods that they were almost to the Sheriff's nest.

He ran so quickly through the city streets that the humans only felt a breeze at his passing. Unfortunately his great speed meant that his sister was shuddering with cold, but he had no other choice. Finally, he stopped before a sedate mansion at the end of a long, private driveway.

"Sweets, we are here." he murmured and barged quickly through the doors. If the precious burden in his arms did not mean so much, he knew that barging into the Sheriff's domain like this, ignoring all protocol of a younger vampire approaching an elder, would have had extremely painful consequences.

For a moment he stood in the doorway to the main gathering room, somewhat shocked that he had made it with his precious sister still alive. He cradled her to his cold chest as she stirred, and his eyes swept the room for any threats. It appeared he had interrupted some sort of party, and his fangs ached at the scent of the glamoured human companions.

"Josiah," she slurred. "I'm so c-cold. Please. A-are we t-there yet?"

He didn't respond as the entire room went silent and fangs dropped. "I need to speak to the Sheriff," he demanded, thankful that he was older than most of the vampires in the room.

"I am here." came the quiet, accented voice. The vampires and glamoured humans parted, and the Sheriff walked forward with his two lieutenants. Although shorter than either of them, it was obvious he was in charge. The female to his left looked Spanish in origin, and the other dressed like a cowboy although both were younger than Josiah by several centuries.

Josiah averted his gaze from the elder and bowed as well as he could. "Sheriff, pardon my entrance but it is an emergency. It has been several decades since we last met. I am Josiah, Child of-."

"I know who you are, youngling." the cool voice interrupted. "I can smell your Sire's blood in you, and the witchcraft around you as well. Why have you entered my territory and disturbed my nest? Who is this child?"

"She is my sister."

The cowboy scoffed but subsided at the Sheriff's glance.

"Yet I can hear her heartbeat, and I know your Maker's stance on sharing our sacred blood…and on Turning children."

Josiah nodded, "She is not, and will not, be my sister by Turning, but will always be my sister by choice."

The watching vampires stirred at actually claiming a willing relation to a human that didn't involve glamour, feeding, and fucking.

The sheet slipped as the girl shifted, and exposed her neck to the room.

Shocked silence filled the air before one young vampire gasped, "A Fated Mate?! I thought they were just stories!"

Godric ignored the vampires in the nest and stared at the small human. It had been many years since he had seen one of her kind, and never one so young. "Follow me into my office. Now."

The Sheriff turned to the watching vampires and calmly commanded, "The nest will be emptied for the evening, and unless it is an emergency all problems will be held until tomorrow night. Go." Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked deeper into the nest.

Josiah followed the three vampires into the center of the building. He was 800 years old, and vastly experienced, yet when they entered the Sheriff's office he had to grit his teeth to stay upright. Here the power of the Sheriff rested heavily on all who entered, and if Josiah's Maker had not been almost as old as the Gaul, he would have been even more uncomfortable in the room. While the Sheriff had been Turned young, barely into manhood, the power originating from his teenage body was formidable. He was Death, feared by all other Supernaturals, and this was why his Maker had commanded him to bring his precious sister and give her into his care.

The sheet slipped from her body and the scent of her blood swept through the room as the muffling spell finally collapsed. It had done it's duty, however, and had helped hide her until Josiah could get her to safety.

The two lieutenants froze as they reflexively took deep breathes, and their eyes fell to the girl's neck. They could see the marks, only visible to vampire eyes on her neck and wrists and knew they would also be at her femoral artery and over her heart. They almost seemed to shimmer in the light, and they warned every vampire exactly what this precious human was. That she was both a blessing to their kind, and the True Death to any who ignored the mark's warning.

"A Fated Mate. It's been so long. I hadn't heard that another had been born. And so very young!" the female vampire said softly.

Josiah and the Sheriff ignored them, their eyes locked. "Her name is Alexandra, but we call her Alex. Our bloodline was attacked by filthy wolves, and she was hurt just before my Maker commanded me to bring her to you." He carefully lowered her to the nearby couch and repositioned the sheet over her fevered body. "My Sire calls in the boon you owe him, and as repayment asks for you to protect her until the current _unpleasantness _has been dealt with, and we discover the reason for the attack. It should not take longer than a fortnight or two."

Godric looked down at the small, and so very precious, human on his couch. For the first time in decades he felt something besides apathy. What was it? Curiosity, perhaps. Definitely protectiveness. The girl's scent called to all vampires to guard her while she was still so vulnerable, although only one would ever have the privilege of her powerful blood once she reached adulthood.

"How did your bloodline find her?" asked the female vampire as she knelt and smoothed the auburn fly-away hair back from Alex's forehead. The child's smelled like rainfall during the coldest days of winter when snow was in the air. Crisp and clean.

Josiah carefully watched the three vampires. Just because his sister's scent encouraged a vampire's protective instinct, it did not mean that the vampire was incapable of hurting her. Just rather disinclined towards such actions. "Her family was killed in a car accident on some backwoods road in Canada. When we found her, she was the only survivor. Both of her parents were only children and had no living kin close enough to look after her, and because of what she is, my Maker decided to raise her until it is time for her to Search. The Council was made aware of her existence, and they commanded we keep silent about having found her until she was older."

Godric nodded. "I will guard her until your bloodline returns. She will be safe within my nest and under my protection," he said calmly before he turned to his lieutenant. "Isabel, call Dr. Ludwig. I charge you to care for the child, and to also find whatever a human girl-child may need. We will glamour the housekeeper to watch over her during the day. Josiah, will you rest here this evening, or head back to your Maker?"

"I must go, Sheriff, but please tell my sister we will return for her." Josiah leaned down and ignored the watching vampires as he laid a soft kiss on her forehead. She had worked her way into his, and his bloodline's hearts, and he would miss her. Humans had such quick childhoods, and he loathed to miss any of it.

He looked up at the watching vampires. "She likes blueberry white chocolate pancakes when she doesn't feel well. Thank you, Sheriff." With a last, lingering look at his sister, he turned and vamp sped from the room. He had a long way to travel before the sun rose, and plots to discover before it was safe to bring his sister home.

* * *

She was lost, and so hot that it felt like her skin was on fire. "Daddy!" she cried out as she ran through a shadowed forest. Thick mist moved around the trees, hiding them from her view, and she sniffled when she stumbled over another upraised root. Wrong, everything was wrong and she was so hot that it was hard to think.

"Josiah? Gabriel? Bennet? Where are you?" she sobbed. All the trees looked dark and twisted, and felt so wrong…but something pulled her towards the center of the forest. Whatever it was made something deep in her chest weakly flutter.

"Daddy!" she cried again. Why wasn't he coming? Her daddy and brothers were super strong and fast, better than even Batman! Why weren't they answering her? Why was she alone?

She cried out and staggered forward, the pull in her chest making it hard to think. A tree, graceful and pretty but still so wrong, seemed to lean towards her and she whimpered and struggled to move away.

A soft voice echoed through the shrouded woods, and her head snapped up in surprise. Maybe she wasn't alone!

"Your touch seems to frighten the child." The words faded into the fog, but she could tell they came from the same direction of whatever was pulling at her. The voice was soft and calm and she didn't want it to leave her alone.

"No! Don't leave me!" she cried, and once again gained her feet, only to almost fall as the world spun around her like a merry-go-round. The voice made her feel safe, and she wanted to hear it again.

"I don't wanna be alone," she sniffled, and whimpered when the branches from the nearby trees scratched at her skin. They were wrong and she didn't want them touching her!

"Shh, child, you are not alone. You are safe."

The voice sounded closer, but still so far away, and with a last gasp she broke through the forest and into a clearing. In the center stood a beautiful tree that soared into the night sky, so tall that it touched the stars, and it's branches were so wide that no other tree dared get near it.

Her lip trembled. It was alone. Just like she was.

Her throat clogged with tears as she looked at it. It was so strong, but…sad. Tired. Hurt.

A tear slipped down her cheek. Lonely. So very, very lonely.

Her heart clenched and she wiped at her nose with her dirty arm. The flutter in her chest gentled as she looked up at the huge tree. It reminded her how she felt before her daddy and brothers saved her. How she sometimes still felt, as if something was missing. She had asked her daddy about it once, the sad feeling she sometimes got, but he had told her to be patient and one day it would be better. She wanted to give the tree a hug, like when her daddy hugged her, and made the sad feeling go away.

She looked down, and saw that her sparkly-purple painted toes were at the very edge of the great shadow it cast across the clearing, but unlike the dark forest, she was not afraid. Instead of a creepy darkness, this one seemed like it would hide her from all the monsters she was sure were following her.

"She seems to respond to you, vampire." she heard a second, grumpy voice echo from behind her and, with a terrified cry, she dashed forward.

As soon as she passed into the great tree's shadow, she immediately calmed. Warmth. Home. _Safety_. Nothing could get her here, nothing could harm her while she was under this tree's shadow. With a sniffle, she stumbled towards it's base and pressed her face against the cool bark. It smelled good, like her favorite candle that her daddy bought her for her room and made everything smell warm and campfire-y. She was so hot, and her head hurt, and she slipped to the ground and huddled against the smooth bark. She sighed and felt soothed and comforted at the cool touch against her face.

Something under her hand caught her attention and she picked it up. "An acorn?" she whispered. Her daddy had showed her one once when they had gone on their walks through the woods around their home.

"She is obviously delirious Dr. Ludwig, she only reacts to the coolness of my hand against her fevered skin." answered the calm voice from before, and she happily smiled as it wrapped around her like her favorite pink fuzzy blanket on her bed at home.

"I'm scared," she whimpered into the tree, and cuddled closer to it. Something had happened to her, something had attacked her family, but her head ached and all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Do not be afraid." came the quiet reply, and she felt her fear slip away.

The ground around her stirred, and she looked down when the roots of the tree rose and shifted to create a hollow space just her size. Gratefully she curled up, and weakly giggled when a thin, green root tentatively wrapped itself around her wrist. She pet it with clumsy fingers, and smiled sleepily as it seemed to protectively curl further around her wrist with gentle strength. The fluttering in her chest eased and she sighed in relief. She looked up, but the tree was so high above her, and she was so very small, that she doubted it even knew she was there. Tears dripped down her cheeks that she couldn't make her tree feel better. It _hurt_ that she couldn't make her tree happy.

"Shh," said the fuzzy-blanket voice. "You are unwell, and need to rest. You are safe, child. Sleep."

She yawned, and her eyes had started to droop shut, when a bright light filled the comforting shadow of her tree. She blinked dazzled eyes and stared at the white-winged figure above her. He was…familiar, somehow, even though the frown on his face made her cower away from him.

"How can you be meant for this one?" he scowled, and stared up at the branches above. "There must be a mistake, how can _this _one be considered worthy of such a gift? And how in the Gods' name did you find your way to this place now?!" he said, and reached down to pick her up.

"No!" she whined, and clung to the thin root around her wrist. "I don't wanna go! My tree needs me! Can't you see it's sad?"

The winged man stopped and stared up at the monstrously huge oak. 'Sad' would not be a word he would use to describe what he felt while standing under the shadow of it's power. He was lucky to have remained here unseen for as long as he had. He shuddered, and gripped the girl tighter.

"You are ill, and easily confused. This one cannot be meant for you. Listen, when you are older…." he paused, stared at his stubborn charge, and shook his head in exasperation. "Why am I even arguing with a toddler?" he grumbled to himself, and with quick movements unwrapped the root and hoisted her into his arms.

"No no no! It's _mine_! Give it back!" she sobbed as the fluttering in her chest grew painful. She weakly flailed in his arms, and reached down towards the root that stretched to meet her fingertips.

He watched in shock as the two met, and the slender root gently twined around the girl's small fingers. He could see their auras shifting towards each other. Shit. His job had just grown much, much more difficult. None of the others had been this much trouble, and the girl was still barely more than a toddler!

The branches above them began to stir, and he quickly passed his hands over her eyes and sighed when his troublesome charge went limp. "Sleep, and when you awake this will be just a fever dream, and as easily forgotten. No one can know who your mate will be. You _must _forget."

The winged man shifted the girl in his arms as he prepared to move her soul back to it's rightful place, and never noticed the small acorn the child clutched in her other hand.

* * *

Sleepy, brown eyes opened and stared into the grey ones of the vampire next to her.

"Where's Josiah?" she asked, scared. She was hot, in a strange place, and she wanted her brother. Where was she?

"Your brother left you in my care, and you have my word that none shall harm you here. I am Godric, Sheriff of Area 9 in Texas."

"Sheriff," a grumpy voice said. "The girl will sleep for the next few days, but should heal quickly. I've bandaged her leg but it looked worse than it really was. Since she cannot drink vampire blood, it must heal naturally."

Alex struggled to focus as everything seemed to float around her, but at the word 'blood' she panicked. Her family told her to never drink a vampire's blood!

"No blood!" she said, and began to struggle with the heavy blanket. She looked up at the Sheriff and struggled to find the words. Her daddy told her she always had to be polite, but her head hurt and she was scared. "Please Mr. Sheriff Sir, no blood!" She had promised her daddy to never drink any vampire's blood, and he would be angry if she disobeyed him!

A prick in her arm made her jerk and look at the short, odd woman next to her.

"This will help you sleep little girl, no one will give you blood here." said the grumpy sounding lady. She turned away and snickered as she muttered, "Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

The world began to swim, and with a huge effort she turned her face towards the other vampire. "Mr. Sheriff Sir?"

Calm grey eyes stared down into her own, and her chest fluttered softly. "Sleep, you are safe here." he quietly said and some of her fear went away as the world turned soft and dark around her.

* * *

**_Several days later_**

Godric looked up from his desk at the sound of small feet limping down the hall and pausing outside his door. Several days had passed and the girl, Alex, had bounced back from her injuries with the ease of youth. Isabel had taken over her care and he had yet to actually talk to the child. He could hear her heartbeat quicken, and heard her giggles as she struggled to move the heavy door.

"Hi, Mr. Sheriff Sir!" she chirped when she finally huffed and puffed the door open. She stared up at the quiet vampire behind the huge desk, and brought her thumb up to her mouth. Her daddy said she was too old to suck her thumb, but it made her feel better. She nervously clutched her new teddy bear to her chest and rubbed her nose in his soft fur. She liked this vampire, liked his quietness and soft voice, although she didn't think he liked her. Tears filled her eyes at the thought, but she clutched her new bear to her and felt better. She missed her daddy and her brothers, but somehow Mr. Sheriff Sir made her feel better. Less alone.

Earlier in the evening he had introduced her to his nest. She wasn't used to so many people staring at her, and she had shyly hid behind his legs. He hadn't made fun of her, or moved from his spot in front of her, until Ms. Isabel had managed to coax her with a surprise gift. When she had turned to show him what it was, he was gone. When she finally managed to escape, she somehow found the way back to the room Ms. Isabel had said was his office and was 'not for children'. She didn't want to get in trouble by going into the room, but some of the vampires in the nest were scary and she really wanted to hide behind him again. When she was around him, it was like she was wrapped in a warm blanket, and nothing could hurt her.

"Good evening, child. I believe you were told this room was not for you," he said, even as he turned his attention back to the important documents in front of him. With words to soft for her mortal ears, he called for Isabel to come retrieve her from his office.

"If you wait quietly, Isabel will-," He stopped and blinked when an object with brown fur was shoved into his face.

"Look, Mr. Sheriff Sir! Look at what Ms. Isabel got me! She said you told her to get me a toy and _look_!" she squealed. "It's a bear, and he has a cowboy hat and a sheriff's badge! I named him Mr. Sheriff Sir, just like you! Do you have a badge too? Can I see it?"

Godric's lips twitched when he glanced down and saw that someone, he suspected Stan, had sewn small vampire fangs into the toy's mouth. "Ah, yes. I am glad that you are satisfied with the toy," he said quietly. "And no, I do not have a badge."

She scrunched up her nose in confusion. "What's sa-tis-feed mean?"

Godric sighed and looked at his desk. He had much work to do before the night was over, but he could not bring himself to hurt her feelings. He could hear Isabel approaching, and knew that he would only have to entertain the child for a few more minutes.

"The word is 'satisfied' and it means to be happy with how something turned out."

"Oh." she said and looked up at him with big brown eyes. "Then I am sa-tis-feed with Mr. Sheriff Sir. He's so soft! Thank you!" Quickly, she stretched up towards the vampire, and gave him a big hug.

Godric stiffened in shock. How many decades had it been since someone had touched him? Since a human had dared to do so?

Even after Isabel had gently chastised the child and taken her away, and long after he had returned to his work, part of him worried that she would be tainted by him. That somehow his generations of bloody genocide would mar her innocence. She was sacred to his kind, a Fated Mate, and he refused to be the reason she was so damaged. She had his protection while she was in his Area, but, he decided, he would leave all of her management to Isabel and the glamoured housekeeper. She was only one small child, no matter her special destiny. Surely she would be little trouble. In fact, he doubted he would even have much cause to see her before her father and brothers returned for her.

With that thought he turned back to his never ending pile of work, and staunchly ignored the twinge of sadness at his choice.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to all my readers and/or reviewers! As always, the disclaimer that I only own what was created in my own head.**

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**Chapter 2**

She curled up in a ball in the large bed and stared at the shadowy, dark closet. She knew the monsters were there, she could practically hear them hissing and snarling about how they wanted to eat her. Not even her Super Girl pajamas gave her enough courage to call out for help. What if the monsters knew she was awake and tried to get to her? Or tried to hurt whoever came to help her? Her heart thudded faster and faster and she grabbed her new bear.

"I-It's okay, Mr. Sheriff Sir," she said and hugged her teddy bear to her chest. Her eyes never left the partially opened closet. "I-I wont let them g-get you. Mr. Sheriff Sir said we were safe here, he wont let the monsters hurt you. He _promised_!" She hid her face in his soft fur and whimpered. She had to be brave for her teddy bear so he wouldn't be scared and start crying. She wanted to turn the light on, but was afraid to leave the bed in case the monster hiding under it got her. She wanted her daddy! She wanted her brothers! She wanted…she wanted….

She whimpered when the door opened and let in a wedge of light into the pitch black room.

"Are you okay, Alex?" came the soft voice of Ms. Isabel.

She popped her head up from under the covers and nervously watched the closet. "Ms. Isabel! I want Mr. Sheriff Sir! Please!"

Isabel stared, confused at the clearly terrified child. She glanced around, but there was nothing in the room that should frighten her. Yet she could smell her fear, and her tears. The fear increased the scent of her blood, and Isabel's fangs snicked down as her instincts rose to protect her. "Alex, your teddy bear is right next to you.'

"No, not Mr. Sheriff Sir. We want Mr. _Sheriff _Sir! My teddy is really scared! My teddy wants Mr. Sheriff Sir now!" she wailed, and clutched her bear closer to her as she rocked back and forth.

Isabel's lips twitched, even as she kept her amusement out of her voice. Although Godric had barely been around the child, it was obvious that he had made an impression on her. Frankly she thought the distraction from his work would be good for him. Lately he had seemed…odd. Disconnected. Listless. She was worried about him, but he had made it clear he wished to be left alone.

"The Sheriff is busy, little one. Can I help you?"

"No! My teddy wants Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

Isabel opened her mouth to soothe the girl. The Sheriff was on the phone with the King, and could not be interrupted for whatever childish fear she may have.

One moment she was alone, and in the next Godric stood next to her. "Isabel, what seems to be the problem? The King could hear her sobbing over the phone."

"Sheriff, Alex is upset and wants to see you. Apparently only you can help her." She smiled at the brief, uncomfortable look her Sheriff sported before he nodded, and walked into the room. Isabel knew she should leave, that she had duties to attend to, but she was interested to see what Alex wanted.

Alex buried her face further into her bear's stomach and sniffled. Teddy was very scared, and wanted to know where Mr. Sheriff Sir was.

"Don't be scared, he wont let them get us." she whispered into his fur. Nervously, she sucked on her thumb and tried to keep the tears from falling. She was brave and a big girl! Her teddy was scared, but she wasn't! A small sound made her clench her eyes tighter, and she hid under one of the large pillows on the bed.

Suddenly, she felt like a warm blanket was wrapped around her, and her chest weakly fluttered. She uncurled and nuzzled her bear. Mr. Sheriff Sir was here! She was safe!

"Child," came the soft, soothing voice from next to the bed. "I can smell your fear. What ails you?"

Her head popped up and she stared teary-eyed at him. "Mr. Sheriff Sir! You came!" she cried, and flung herself and her teddy from the bed into his arms. She clung to him, her teddy protectively smushed between them, and buried her face in his neck. The warm blanket feeling wrapped tighter around her, and she burrowed deeper into his neck.

She sniffled and wrapped herself further around him when his arms stiffly came up to support her weight. He smelled oddly familiar, and slowly she began to calm before her head shot up so fast she almost hit him in the chin.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir!" she cried out and tried to tug him forward. "You have to get off the floor! Jump onto the bed before they get you!"

Godric blinked and stared down at the clearly terrified child. Her heart beat so fast he was surprised she hadn't hyperventilated, and her scent was heavy with fear. Her red hair was mostly out of it's thick braid, and her face was flushed and tear stained. He had been shocked when she had jumped into his arms, and he ignored Isabel's amusement.

"Child, who are 'they'?" Carefully, he placed the small girl back on the rumpled bed.

Alex glanced nervously at the closet and bed before she leaned closer and whispered, "The tentacle monsters that live in the closet and under the bed."

Godric blinked, and his eyes cut to the dark closet, but he could hear no other heartbeat besides hers in the room. There were no other unusual smells besides that of her fear. A cursory index of all the different species of Supernaturals he had met in his long life made him realize that she was mistaken . "Calm yourself. There are no such thing as tentacle monsters that live in closets or under beds. You are safe, go back to your slumber." If the child knew that he was worse than any imaginary monster, she would not look to him for protection. He turned to leave, convinced that she would now easily return to her rest.

"There are!" she denied, and raised up her bedraggled teddy bear. "Mr. Sheriff Sir heard them, and was scared. I told him that you had promised that you would protect us, and wouldn't let the bad monsters hurt him! He wants you to make the monsters go away!" she said, and looked up at him with pleading, trusting eyes.

Godric internally sighed, but something in him couldn't resist the need to comfort the girl. It had to be her scent that affected him, he rationalized to himself. The king was expecting him to return his call, so the faster he soothed her the quicker he could get back to his responsibilities and away from her before he contaminated her.

"Alright child." he said, and ignored Isabel's muffled giggles.

When he moved towards the closet he halted when a small, warm hand wrapped around his. Shocked, he looked down into worried eyes.

Alex hesitated, and with a trembling hand held out her teddy bear. "D-Do you want to take my teddy to help keep you safe?" she asked.

His eyes trailed down to the offered toy, and then back up to the worried girl. His voice was very gentle when he answered. "No, little one, keep your bear. I will be fine."

He moved towards the closet, opened the door, and flipped on the light. "See, there is nothing here."

"It's because you turned on the light," she said stubbornly and clutched at her bear. Her teddy wanted Mr. Sheriff Sir to pick them up again. No way was any tentacle monster going to get them then! "They hide when the light is turned on. You need to put your teeth down to scare them. And growl. That's what my brothers always do when I get scared. They said that _everyone _knows that tentacle monsters are scared of vampires!"

Godric ignored Isabel's shaking form, and with a snick lowered his teeth. As he turned back to the closet, he really, really hoped that his son would never hear about this. Quickly he turned off the light, and half-heartedly snarled into the dark room. With fast footsteps he moved towards the bed, lifted the bed skirt and snarled again.

He rose from his crouch and nodded at the girl. "No tentacle monsters reside either in your closet, nor under your bed. Now, will you return to your rest?"

Her eyes were wide as they stared up at him and Godric realized that his teeth were still down. With a snick he retracted them, uncertain of her reaction, but her gaze looked at him as if he had fought a dragon for her.

"Wow!" she said. "Thank you, Mr. Sheriff Sir! You scared them all away really fast! It always takes my brothers a lot more time to do it, and they even have to go _inside _my closet and fight them! The tentacle monsters are really strong, and one time they even threw Bennett through the door! Are you older than my brothers?"

Isabel's choked laughter was still too soft for the girl to hear, and Godric briefly glared at her. "Yes, I am."

She gasped. "Older than my _daddy_?!"

He sighed, certain that her reaction would be the same fearful one as others who learned of his great age. "Yes, I am. Your family brought you to me because I am the second oldest vampire in this country, and thus able to protect you."

She stared at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open in shock.

The two vampires watched, unsure of her reaction, and Isabel felt a pang of disappointment. She almost jumped when her musings were interrupted by an excited squeal, and a jumble of words.

"Did you ever ride a dinosaur? Was it fun? What was it's name? Was it Ralph? Why does the mean one that eats other dinosaurs have really short arms? It makes it look silly, and if I was a dinosaur I would laugh at it, even though daddy says that that's not nice."

To Isabel's shock her always calm, always blank faced Sheriff slightly smiled!

"No," he said. "I am afraid I have never met a dinosaur. I am not _that _old, nor do I know why the Tyrannosaurus Rex had such short arms. Now, do you feel like you will be able to sleep?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed, and cuddled down into her pillows, her eyes already heavy. "Thank you for saving us. I am sa-tis-feed."

His lips twitched. "Little one, I promised you that you would be safe in my nest." He turned abruptly to his amused underling. "Isabel, when you are finished come to my office." With a blink, he was gone.

Isabel came over and tucked Alex and her teddy in snugly. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yes, Mr. Sheriff Sir made all the monsters go away, and my teddy isn't scared anymore." she mumbled.

Isabel smothered a laugh, and looked fondly at the little girl she suspected was going to make the next few weeks rather interesting.

"Ms. Isabel?"

"Yes?"

"Is Mr. Sheriff Sir married?"

The vampire blinked, and a highly amused smile spread across her face. "No, he is not. Why do you ask?"

"Me and teddy are going to marry him one day," was the sleepy response. "He's nice, and he smells good. My teddy bear thinks he's sad and needs us. I don't want him to be sad." She curled up into a small ball under the covers. "Do you think he likes me?"

Isabel's gaze sharpened. Perhaps…? It was much too early to tell, as this could be nothing, but if anyone deserved such a gift, it would be her Sheriff.

"The Sheriff is very, very old, Alex. I do not believe he dislikes you, but it has been a long times since he, himself, was a child. I daresay you confuse him."

Alex snuggled down further into her blankets and yawned. "Ms. Isabel, if I ask, do you think he would wait for me to grow up?"

Before Isabel could answer, the little girl's eyes slipped closed and she fell deeply into the land of dreams.

* * *

Godric sat out in the garden and stared up at the night sky. Everyone knew that when the Sheriff sat by the pond, that he was not to be disturbed. Much was on his mind, and his 'do not disturb upon pain of evisceration' aura was enough to make even Stan decide to go elsewhere for the remainder of the evening. Even Isabel had made herself scarce after she had finished tending to Alex. It would be dawn soon, but for once he was not interested in the large pile of work currently breeding on his desk.

He sighed, even with his eyes it was difficult to see the stars through the light pollution, and he missed their brightness. He longed for the days when he could travel for miles without seeing another being, when the air was clean and the wilderness spanned forever. Unfortunately those memories were also tied with the atrocities he had committed that now weighed so heavily on his soul. He had been the ruin of so many, had destroyed and ripped apart families and entire countries with only a chilling smile and a careless hand. He saw that same viciousness in the younger generation of vampires, and despaired that his race could ever evolve. The birth of a Fated Mate after so many years, the fact that the gods had decided that at least one vampire deserved such a treasure, gave him hope that perhaps not all was lost, even though he had no hope for his own redemption.

The sky slowly brightened, and he sighed when he realized that it was time to die for the day. Within seconds he was secure from the sun's harmful rays, and gratefully allowed his day sleep to pull him from his troublesome worries.

Just before he died, he had a random, odd thought; just why _did_ the Tyrannosaurus Rex have such short arms? For the fist time in decades, he went to his day rest with a small smile on his pale lips.

* * *

The faint pull reached her even in her deep sleep, and Alex whimpered as she tossed and turned. Something was wrong….something _hurt_…the feeling slipped away and she rolled back over and curled around Mr. Sheriff Sir. The bear's soft fur against her cheek soothed her as she once again slipped into dreams of chasing butterflies through moonlit meadows with her daddy, brothers, and a laughing vampire Sheriff.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As always, thank you to everyone who reads/reviews my story! Only a few more chapters of child Alex to go before we start time jumping! Midnat, as always, you rock.**

**The usual disclaimer goes here, and now...enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Godric stared impassively at the two werewolves who stood before his desk. They had already been there for an hour, but refused to listen to reason. He sometimes missed the past when he could have bombarded them with his power without regard to the fallout. Or just ripped out their hearts. The last thing Dallas needed was for a war to break out between vampires and werewolves. The loss of life, including those of humans, would be catastrophic and difficult to hide in the current technological age.

The Packmaster snarled and brought his fist down on the desk. "Look, vampire, one of your underlings beat a member of my pack so badly that they are in the hospital. They fang-raped his sister as well, and we want justice!"

Godric nodded, but replied calmly, "I agree, but only after I have spoken to the two victims to determine the veracity of their story. Vampires are not known for their love of werewolf blood."

Stan snorted and rolled his eyes. "It tastes like complete dog shit."

Godric sighed, "Stan."

The second were's eyes went yellow. "Those are my children you are talking about, leach! If I have to I will start killing every one of you fangers and-"

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! Mr. Sheriff Sir!" The sound of a small body throwing itself against the heavy door made Isabel shake her head, and the two weres looked on in disbelief.

"I left her with one of the glamoured companions, and told her we were not to be disturbed. My apologies, Sheriff," Isabel bowed, and quickly moved to open the door.

"Alexandra!" she reprimanded, but the girl ignored her. Somehow, and she wasn't sure how, she seemed to gain more arms than an octopus and became as slippery as an eel as she squirmed free of her grip.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! You'll never guess what happened today! Did you know you have ducks in your pond? Teddy and I tried to pet them but we fell in and got all wet!" she giggled. "Teddy had to go into the dryer, and he got all dizzy from spinning around and around! We took a nap, and then Mrs. Rosie made us cookies for a snack. Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and I got to lick the spoon! Then we got to draw and look what we made for you!" she shouted and waived a piece of paper in the air, scattering pink glitter across the pristine carpet.

"Alex!" Isabel snapped, and the girl froze and looked over her shoulder. Unfortunately, she stopped right next to the weres and they leaned down to sniff her.

"You smell…weird," the Packmaster said, and took another deep sniff.

Her jaw dropped and she pouted. "I don't smell weird, I took a bath earlier! Teddy did too!" She looked up at Stan. "Do I smell weird?" she whispered loudly to the vampire that gave her chocolates and let her wear his hat when no one else was around.

"No, darlin', these mangy mutts are just used to sniffing their own rear ends and aren't used to smelling something as good as you." Stan replied, but winced at his Sheriff's glare.

The Packmaster growled but his attention was caught by the bear the girl clutched in her arms. Someone had sewn small vampire fangs into its mouth. The realization that there was a child in a nest of bloodsucking fiends suddenly hit him, and his growled.

"Wait a second. You have a child?! Here? I heard that you were different from other vampires, Godric, but apparently you are like every other leech! Do you glamour the poor thing to not be afraid of you? Pass her around to the other vampires? Do _other _things to her?"

He looked down at a sudden, dull pain in his leg and saw that the girl had kicked him with her bare foot. He scowled and reached for her to take her over his knee and give her a good spanking, but the growls and fangs of the watching vampires in the room made him pause. Well, that and the sudden presence of extremely pissed off vampire in front of him. This close those fangs looked rather…lethal. The quiet, calm Sheriff was gone and he shuddered at the power the smaller boy-man gave off.

Godric glared coldly at the Packmaster, and his rage only increased when a small arm wrapped around his knee and a trembling body pressed against the back of his leg. His instincts rose, and he increased the level of his power that currently flooded the room, and watched in satisfaction as the two mortals edged away. Only then did he realize, to his shock, that the low, vicious growl belonged to him. When was the last time he had lost control? He opened his mouth to dismiss the two werewolves when he was interrupted by a loud, trembling voice.

"D-Don't you say that about Mr. Sheriff Sir! He would never hurt me! H-He made the bad tentacle monsters in the closet go away last night! He gave me my bear, and he keeps us safe! He promised!" She glared and stomped her foot. "Don't you say naughty things about him, you…you…big meanie!"

The second werewolf rolled his eyes and ignored the warning glare of his Packmaster. "Look cupcake, they've probably been feeding off of you and you just don't know it. If he isn't, then I'm sure the cowboy or Spanish Barbie have been. Or any of the other corpses in the nest. They are disgusting beasts."

Her eyes widened at the look on the men's faces, and she clutched at Mr. Sheriff Sir's knee. "Ms. Isabel takes care of me! Mr. Stan plays horsie with me and gives me rides in the hallway when nobody is around! Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't let anyone hurt me and if they _tried_, teddy and I would tell on them, and Mr. Sheriff Sir would make them go to bed without dinner! Or make them go into Time Out! Or…or be so mean to them that they would cry!" She clutched at Mr. Sheriff Sir's leg, but stood her ground. The warm blanket feeling was wrapped tightly around her and she felt super brave. Teddy agreed, and said that nobody could talk about their Mr. Sheriff Sir like that!

"Alex." The voice was soft, soothing, and so very gentle that every muscle in her body relaxed.

She stilled and looked up at Mr. Sheriff Sir. For once the grey eyes that looked down at her didn't look remote and far away. Instead they were a warm grey, and it was the first time he had ever said her name. "They shouldn't say things like that about you Mr. Sheriff Sir." Her chin jutted out. "Teddy and I wont let them hurt your feelings like that!"

"Alexandra, that is enough!" Isabel commanded. "You will go out into the hallway and stay there until I come for you."

"Now Isabel," Stan said. "She was defending our Sheriff. Would you really punish her for that?"

"Stan, this is why Godric appointed myself, and not you, as her guardian for while she is here." She turned to look down at Alex who cringed further behind the Sheriff's legs, and was now sucking her thumb with wide eyes. Her voice softened. "Now, Alex."

Alex wrapped her arm tighter around Mr. Sheriff's Sirs leg before she sighed and skirted around the two mean men.

Isabel held the door open, and when she walked into the hallway warned, "Sit down and don't move."

The door shut with a thud and she sat down and pulled Mr. Sheriff Sir into her lap. "Teddy, I think we're in big trouble."

* * *

Alex had sprawled out in the hallway, and was using her teddy's belly for a pillow, when the door opened, and the two mean men came out. She scrambled out of their way as they stomped by with a glare in her direction.

Her teddy hoped that maybe Ms. Isabel had forgotten about them, but when she appeared in the door the look on her face made her gulp.

"Inside, Alexandra."

Mr. Stan walked by and looked sympathetically down at the girl. "Good luck, kid."

She nervously walked into the room, and stared at Mr. Sheriff Sir who had his back to her as he stood looking out into the garden. He looked…remote. Like nobody could touch him.

Alone.

The pull in her chest felt funny, and she really wanted a hug. "M-Mr. Sheriff Sir?" she whispered, but he did not look at her.

"Alexandra!" Isabel said sternly.

"Yes, Ms. Isabel?" She was nervous. Her teddy had told her that she shouldn't go into the office, but she had really wanted to give Mr. Sheriff Sir his picture…she looked around for it and sniffled when she saw it on the desk. She had wanted to show it to him herself, and now he had seen it and it wasn't a surprise anymore!

"You saw it?" she asked, heartbroken. "Teddy and I wanted to show it to you, Mr. Sheriff Sir. We worked super hard on it!"

Isabel rubbed her forehead and sighed. Could a vampire get a headache? "Alexandra, the picture isn't important right now." She winced at her words and the hurt look they put on the child's face.

"Yes it is! Teddy and I worked really hard on it, and it was a present and now it's _ruined_. Teddy wanted us to give it to him!" She scrubbed at her eyes and cuddled her bear to her chest. "It was important," she whispered. She looked up and saw that Mr. Sheriff Sir had turned around and was watching her. He looked…confused. Like she felt when adults used big words, and she didn't understand them. The pull increased, and she took a half step towards him.

"Alexandra, I need you to focus." Isabel said, and she reluctantly dragged her eyes back to her and squeezed her bear harder. Ms. Isabel looked so angry. She peeked at Mr. Sheriff Sir again but he didn't look angry or happy, but something told her that he was really upset. Her shoulders slumped. Probably with her because she had been naughty.

Nervously, she shifted and pulled her teddy closer as her thumb slipped into her mouth.

"Alexandra, what did I tell you when I left you in the den?"

Alex looked down and shuffled her feet. Maybe if she was really quiet they would forget she was there? She raised one foot and scratched it down the back of her other leg.

"Alexandra! Look at me when I am talking to you. Take your thumb out of your mouth." Isabel demanded. "What did I tell you?"

Shoulders hunched, Alex whispered. "To not go into Mr. Sheriff Sir's office. That you were having an important meeting."

"And, young lady, where are you standing?"

She sniffled and looked down at her bare toes, and wiggled them in the soft grey rug next to the desk. She smiled at the pink glitter that covered both it and her bare feet.

Isabel's voice was a warning. "Alexandra."

"I-In the office." she glanced up and her heart hurt when she saw Mr. Sheriff Sir had left the room. "T-Teddy told me that I shouldn't, but I was just so excited about showing Mr. Sheriff Sir the picture we drew for him." she whispered. Tears filled her eyes. "And now Mr. Sheriff Sir is-"

"Alexandra." Isabel interrupted. "You were very naughty, and you must be punished."

"B-But …" she stammered.

Isabel softened at her fear. "I think a Time Out would work wonders for teaching you to follow directions. You cannot do what you want, whenever you want. Sometimes you must do as your told so that you are safe. Do you understand?"

Alex nodded her head yes, and then shook it no.

Isabel sighed. "We will talk about this more. For now you will go into the den and stand with your nose in the corner."

"For how long?" she whimpered. The vampires in the den made her nervous. They always stared at her, and she didn't think that Mr. Sheriff Sir would let her hide behind his legs during Time Out.

"Ten minutes," Isabel replied. "You will speak to no one, and you will stand there. Then we will talk."

"Ten minutes is _forever!_" Alex whined. She would die of boredom! Well, at least she would have her teddy with her…

"Watch your tone, miss. Now, for the second part of your punishment, you have to leave your teddy here."

Alex's jaw dropped, and she put her bear behind her back. "He didn't do anything! He tried to tell me to not come in the room! He will get lonely and scared without me! It's not _fair._"

Isabel felt her lips twitch, but forced them into a stern expression. "Then next time you will listen to him. He will be fine here, and you can have him back when you are done. Now, march!"

Completely miserable, she asked, "Does he have to sit in Time Out too? Mr. Sheriff Sir isn't here…who will keep him safe without me?"

Isabel struggled to keep from smiling. "Yes, teddy needs to be in Time Out too. Both of you can think about what you did wrong. Nobody is allowed in the office when the Sheriff is not here, so your teddy will be fine."

Alex looked down at her bear and gave him a big hug and ruffled his fur.

Ms. Isabel's voice was firm. "Alex."

Her shoulders slumped, and she turned away and walked to a corner of the room and sat her bear down on the floor facing it. "I'm sorry, teddy. I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I guess I was really bad." She kissed his head and dragged her feet over to Ms. Isabel and took her hand. With heavy steps she followed Ms. Isabel to the den. She blushed when Ms. Isabel told everyone in the room that no one was to talk to her during her punishment as she was made to face the corner.

"Now, Alexandra. Stay here until I tell you that the punishment is over. Think about what you did wrong. Do. Not. Move. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ms. Isabel."

"I will be here with you, and when you're done we will go get your teddy. Okay?"

Alex listlessly nodded and leaned her forehead against the wall. She raised her hand and rubbed at her chest. She didn't understand why her heart felt heavy and cold, but it did. She didn't like it. It felt like something was wrong.

She shifted, and her mind wandered. It had to have been ten minutes, right? It felt like she had been there forever! Was Ms. Isabel still here? She shifted and started to turn her head to check.

"It's only been one minute, Alex. You have nine more to go. Stand still."

Alex groaned and stilled her feet. She was going to be here forever and ever and _ever_. Her poor teddy would be left alone. Would Mr. Sheriff Sir look after him? Hug him when teddy got lonely and missed his family? She pouted and frowned at the wall. Why did teddy get to stay in the office and she had to leave? Did Mr. Sheriff Sir like him more than her now? He had left before she could ask for a hug. Or tell him about the picture she drew him. Was he mad at her too? Did he not like her anymore? She winced and rubbed her chest where it fluttered and ached.

She missed her teddy. And her brothers and her daddy. She wondered if they were okay and if they missed her as much as she missed them. She wiped at her eyes. She was a big girl, and when she got teddy back she would tell him that she hadn't cried, that she had taken her punishment 'like a man'. She had heard her daddy tell one of her brothers that before. She didn't know exactly what it meant, she thought that her brothers and daddy were boys already, but it seemed to be important. So she wasn't going to cry. Not at all!

A single tear slipped down her cheek. Okay, well, maybe she cried just a little bit, but teddy didn't have to know about it. She bet he was sobbing really hard all alone in the office. She felt bad for thinking mean thoughts earlier, and decided to give him an extra hug when she got him back.

She froze when she heard Mr. Stan told Ms. Isabel that he and the Sheriff were leaving the nest for awhile.

"Alex, stand there, I will be right back."

Terror filled her. She didn't like many of the other vampires in the nest. Something about them felt wrong, even when they smiled at her and wanted to talk to her. Tried to pet her hair. She didn't like it when strange vampires touched her. Ms. Isabel and Mr. Stan were kind of okay, but she only felt totally safe with Mr. Sheriff Sir and he was leaving her here alone. What if the tentacle monsters came back and he wasn't here? What if the bad people who hurt her family came for her?

She was supposed to stay in Time Out but she needed to find Mr. Sheriff Sir. Now!

* * *

"Isabel, while I am gone you are in charge." Godric said calmly. "Stan, Kathryn, Jacob, you will come with me to the hospital. Hopefully we will find that the two youths were mistaken in who they blame for their current predicament."

They turned when a small body hurled itself out of the hallway and slipped on the marble floor. Godric vamp sped, and before the girl could crash into the hard ground he had her safe in his arms. He sighed and carefully set her on her feet. "Little one, how many times have you been told to not run in the halls? Especially in your bare feet?"

"Alexandra! You were not told that your punishment was over. What are you doing here?" Isabel asked.

Alex ignored them and looked up, terrified, into Mr. Sheriff Sir's face. "You can't go!" she panted from her dash down the hallway.

He raised a single brow. "Excuse me?"

"Mr. Stan told Ms. Isabel that you were leaving the nest! If you leave, who will protect me and teddy?" She looked around at the other vampires and leaned in to tearfully whisper, "What if the tentacle monsters come back? Please don't go!" She threw her arms around the startled vampire and clung. "You're mad at me and now you're going to go away and teddy will blame me for you leaving us!" she wailed and burst into loud sobs.

"Child." he said without any response.

"Little one?" Still no answer, except for the warm tears that bathed his neck.

He sighed. "Alex," The soft, soothing, and very gentle tone was the same as before in the office.

"Yes?" she whispered, and leaned back to look into his eyes.

"I am not mad at you, and I will come back. I promise you, just as I promised that you and your bear would be safe in this nest," he soothed and carefully wiped her tears away. The fear and anxiety in her scent began to dissipate as she stared at him.

The other vampires relaxed as the pull to protect her eased, and watched with amusement as the little girl raised her pinkie to the second oldest vampire in the country.

"Pinkie promise?" she demanded.

He looked down at the tiny finger and then raised both eyebrows at the little girl.

"If you pinkie promise you have to come back. It's an extra special promise!"

With a grave expression he nodded and wrapped his pinkie around hers. "Yes, little one, I pinkie promise that I will return. Now, go off with Isabel and complete your punishment like a good girl."

She nodded and with a nervous look at Isabel, turned to run back to the den.

"Walk, don't run!" Isabel demanded.

All smiles were wiped from the vampire's faces as they prepared to leave. Godric was the last one out and he turned to look at Isabel. "Feed her more of those cookies she liked so much after her punishment, and do try and keep the nest, and Alex, in one piece for my return."

Isabel watched as the Sheriff vamp sped away, and smiled.

* * *

Alex stood on her tip toes and looked out the kitchen window into the garden. She squinted and held teddy up to look too, but they could barely see Mr. Sheriff Sir sitting by himself next to the pond.

Isabel sighed. "Alex, come away from the window."

"Mr. Sheriff Sir thinks Mr. Sheriff Sir is sad." she said softly, and cuddled her teddy closer to her. With a trembling finger, she traced the ear that poked up through the cowboy hat.

Isabel shook her head. "Alex, the Sheriff had a difficult night, and asked not to be disturbed. You should respect his wish."

Alex looked down into the black button eyes of her bear and frowned. No, Ms. Isabel wasn't right. She was needed, she _felt _it. "My teddy sometimes gets sad." She looked up with wide eyes into Ms. Isabel's. "Sometimes he gets lonely too. Mr. Sheriff Sir gave him to me so that he wouldn't feel sad and lonely anymore. He…he doesn't want Mr. Sheriff Sir to be sad either." She looked up at Isabel. "Teddy thinks that maybe Mr. Sheriff Sir needs a hug to feel better."

Isabel stared, before she smiled mischievously. "Perhaps, little one, it is time to give the Sheriff your picture?"

* * *

Godric sat by the pond for the second night in a row, and thought about the travesty he had seen this evening. The two weres had not been attacked by vampires, of that he was certain, but something untoward was going on. If he was not careful, fights would break out between vampires and the wolf pack.

Stumbling footsteps and a racing heart made him internally sigh. "Little one," he murmured when she was close enough to hear his words. "I asked for privacy for the evening. Why are you not in the nest? Is it not past time for you to sleep?"

Her eyes went wide with outrage. "I'm not a baby! I'm _five_! Only babies go to bed so early."

He slightly smiled. "Yes, I can see how being five would change things."

She crawled up on the bench, and put teddy down between them before she held out a piece of paper that shed glitter everywhere. "Teddy and I brought you your picture. You saw it earlier, but Ms. Isabel said you would enjoy it if we gave it to you ourselves."

He reached down and stared at the glittery and rather…colorful piece of paper. He frowned and turned his head slightly. Was that an…icecream cone in the upper left corner? For the unlife of him he had no clue what the picture was, and he had studied the great master artists of the Abstract Expressionistic movement. "Ah, yes. Very interesting. Nice use of color and-" he glanced down at his sparkle covered hands, "…glitter."

She blushed, and buried her face in her bear for a moment. She shyly peeked up at him. "Do you like it?"

The thought, if not the actual drawing. "Yes, very much."

She bounced in her seat and wrapped her arms around his elbow. "Can you see what it is?"

Her heat was like a furnace against his side. He paused for a moment, and looked down at the green squiggles and black stick figures. "I would prefer you to tell me about it, little one. What made you choose this shade of green?"

She stared at him as if he had grown another eyeball. "Tentacle monsters are slime green. _Everyone _knows that!"

Finally, something he could work with. "So, then this stick figure with the brown one is you and your-," he winced slightly, "-Mr. Sheriff Sir?"

"Mmhmm!" she hummed happily. "And this one-" she pointed to a gigantic stick figure holding something in his hand, "-is you and your sword!"

His lips twitched, and he felt some of the depression from seeing what was done to the two young weres dissipate. "So there was a sword last night?"

"Of course, you stabbed the tentacle monsters when you growled at them! Teddy and I thought you were very brave." She smiled adoringly up at him before she pointed again at the picture. "Oh, and look! Those are your fangs there! My brother, Bennett, says that I have to always add vampire fangs. I one time drew him without any, and our other brothers made fun of him. He told me the bigger the fangs the better, although that didn't really make sense because all their fangs look the same size. Josiah got mad at him, but I don't know why. Do you think Bennett's fangs are longer and he was jealous?"

He looked down at the childish drawing and laughed when he saw the figure's fangs looked like the size of a walrus', and reached past the bottom of the rather squashed looking head.

"I'm sure your brothers were just teasing each other. Nothing you need to be worried about." He glanced down at her curious face and decided a distraction was needed. "It is very nice, little one. I do have two questions though."

"Yes?" She leaned her head against his shoulder and yawned.

He pointed to the top left corner. "Is that an ice cream cone?"

"Yes. I got hungry."

"Ah, I see." He really didn't. "And the glitter?"

"Teddy liked it. He said that when it got on his fur it made him feel pretty."

"Hm." He carefully put the picture down next to him, and stared into the dark pond, his mind turning back to the question of what to do about the two attacked weres. He could see the fish slowly swimming in circles, always moving but never going anywhere new. He sympathized with them.

"What's that?!" The childish gasp and pointed finger made his head jerk around, certain that some enemy had gotten through both his nest's defenses and his own considerable senses.

"Look, there it is again!" she stood up on the bench and clapped her hands. "Look, look! Teddy! Mr. Sheriff Sir! Little moving stars!"

Godric steadied her when she almost danced off the bench in her excitement. "Ah, no. They are not stars, little Alex. Those are fireflies. Your home is too far into the cold north for you to have seen them before."

"Fireflies…" the awed look on her face made something in his chest relax. Peace flowed into him and he impulsively stood. "Would you like to see one?"

Wide eyed innocence greeted him. "You can catch them?"

In a blink he was gone and back again with his hands carefully cupped together. She could see bits of light flash on and off behind his fingers.

"Ooooh, teddy! Look!" She pulled her bear up closer to see. When Mr. Sheriff Sir opened his palms they watched, together, as the dozens of fireflies danced and lit the air.

She scrubbed at her eyes, and he realized that it was rather late for small humans to still be awake.

"Come, little firefly, let's get you to bed." He picked up his gift, and startled when she slipped her small hand into his and smiled sleepily up at him. He again ignored the odd pull in his chest and started to walk slowly enough for short human legs to keep up with him towards the nest. He could see Isabel waiting in the doorway, and gave her a mildly chastising look for going against his orders. She grinned at him, and he, for once, acted his physical age and rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir?"

"Hm?" he looked down and saw that she was walking with her eyes closed, her teddy practically dragging across the ground. Without thinking he picked her up, and held her safe within his arms. The odd, warm feeling only increased when she laid her head against his shoulder and cuddled close. It had to be her scent. Any vampire would feel protective of the little one, he reasoned.

"Why do they light up like that?"

At least he knew the answer to this, unlike the one about the Tyrannosaurus Rex. "The males light up to attract mates."

"What's a mate?" she mumbled, and sniffed deeply at his throat. "You smell good."

"Thank you." She was practically asleep, and he thought of how to word it to gain some time. "It's when a male and female come together to procreate." He began to walk faster towards the now grinning Isabel.

"What's pro-cree-ate? Is it fun? Would teddy like it too?"

Isabel snickered loudly at the perplexed look on her 2000 year old Sheriff's normally implacable face. He hadn't looked, for want of a better word, 'alive' like that in years.

She patted herself on the back, she had known that sending Alex out to him would be for the best.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I try to respond to every review but if I skipped you, or if you signed in under a Guest account, then thank you! I hope you all continue to enjoy the story. Thanks again to Midnat for being a great Bouncer Of Crazy Ideas!**

**The usual Disclaimer of not owning my own Godric. Boo. **

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

Godric sighed, and ignored the amused glance between Isabel and Stan. The energetic, and _loud_, banging on his office door was an improvement, he told himself. He winced at a particularly loud thunk.

Well, mostly an improvement.

Quickly he moved and opened the door, only to watch in bemusement when both girl and bear tumbled to the floor.

"Yes, little one?" he asked calmly.

"Look! Look what Mrs. Rosie showed me and teddy from the paper!" She shoved the crumpled, and sticky, piece of paper at Godric, who ignored the silent amusement from Isabel and Stan. It smelled like the syrup that humans poured over their bread products, and when he smoothed it out he saw that it was an advertisement about the State Fair that was in town.

"Teddy wants to see if there are bears!" Alex looked down at her bear, covered his ears, and loudly whispered, "Teddy really wants to stick his tongue out at the bears, because they aren't lucky enough to live with Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

Stan somehow managed to turn his snicker into a rather unconvincing cough at the girl's rambling. While he had never had children while alive, his younger sister had, and from his experience he had a feeling he knew what would come next.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir…can we go? Please? They have a petting zoo where you can pet a real goat! And ride a pony!"

He wondered why anyone would be excited to pet a smelly goat. Although, considering most humans today in developed countries never saw a cow outside of television, he supposed he could understand. Although he still didn't understand why the one fast food chain had cows that misspelled words, and tried to manipulate people into eating fowl.

"Unfortunately young one, I have work to do this eve, and so cannot accompany you on your venture."

She stared blankly, and then shared a confused glance with her teddy. Why did adults like to use such big words? "Um…does that mean you can't go?"

Godric shook his head. "Correct. I cannot."

"What about tomorrow night then? Or the night after?" she asked hopefully, and clutched her bear with trembling fingers. She wanted to throw a temper tantrum, but the last time she had done that her daddy had made it clear that such behavior was 'not fitting, and if she wanted to act like an animal then she could eat grass like one instead of dinner'. She didn't think she would like grass. It was green, and green things were 'good for her' but they sure didn't taste very good! Peas were green, and she and teddy didn't like peas. Yuck!

"I am very busy with Sheriff business, little one. I am sorry." Godric turned back to his desk and picked up a file.

There was a moment of silence before she whispered, "T-That's okay, Mr. Sheriff Sir. I know you're busy with important work."

Something pulled at him, and he looked up as the girl dejectedly walked out of the office. He was so used to her dashing to and fro everywhere, despite being told repeatedly not to run, that he was…concerned.

He glanced at Isabel, and sighed at her cross look. "Yes?"

"Sheriff, it has been a long, long time since you've truly taken any time off to enjoy yourself. Why don't you go to the fair with Alex?"

He shook his head. "You know the amount of work we have now that it's been decided that the Great Revelation will occur in a few years. I do not have time for idle trips at the moment. Perhaps one of you can take her tomorrow night. I will speak with her upon the subject later, and explain the situation."

Isabel again shared a look with Stan before an enigmatic smile crossed her face. "As you wish, Sheriff."

Godric wondered why he felt like he had just been patronized by his underling. "Then let us again turn our attention back to the files sent to us by the king."

* * *

Godric walked silently towards the pond, and wondered when Alex had decided to take his thinking spot as her own.

"It's all your fault, Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

He came around the corner, and the sight that met his eyes made him almost smile. On one side of the bench sat Alex with her arms crossed, and the other sat her bear with their backs facing each other. Alex twisted around to continue her argument, and he stepped into a shadow to watch. His idle amusement faded, however, at her words.

"It _is _your fault, teddy! Mr. Sheriff Sir doesn't like you, and that's why he didn't want to go to the fair! Even though they have _pony rides_! Maybe he found out that we hid the peas from dinner instead of eating them! " She paused and then continued, a hitch in her voice. "The other humans were right! You're nothing but a…a…in-con-ven-ience and a bad teddy!" She shoved at her bear, and he fell with a soft thud to the ground.

For a moment she stood there, but then with a cry, she ran and picked him up. "I'm sorry, teddy! I didn't mean it! I'm the bad girl, not you." She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "Do you think if we eat the nasty peas Mr. Sheriff Sir would think we were important too, and want to spend time with us?"

The heartbroken words, and that she thought his needing to work meant that he disliked her, shocked him. Isabel may have been tasked with her care, but he was fully aware of her movements and actions within his nest, and he found himself often smiling at the curious things she said and did. So the idea that anyone would dare call her an inconvenience made a dangerous anger begin to burn, and he let out a low growl. He vamp sped to her and had knelt in front of her before she even realized he was there. The fact that she didn't scream in fear only highlighted how used to his kind she was.

"Little firefly, who told you that you were an inconvenience?" he demanded.

Alex looked down as her thumb crept into her mouth, and she shook her head. She hoped he hadn't seen her push her teddy to the ground. Her bear had already forgiven her, but she didn't want Mr. Sheriff Sir to think she was mean to him. What if he took teddy away from her? She had seen him threaten another Maker for her treatment of her new Child, and she never wanted him to look at her like that!

He leaned over and with gentle fingers under her jaw nudged her face up. "Look at me, Alexandra." he said calmly. "Which humans said such things to you?"

She stared up into warm grey eyes. She liked it when his eyes were warm and soft, instead of when they looked hard like ice. "My teddy and I were playing hide and seek, and I was under a table. They didn't see me, but two of them were talking about how they hated how their vampires paid attention to me." Her lip trembled. "I don't want them to! I don't like them looking at me. I like you and Ms. Isabel and Mr. Stan and Mrs. Rosie but I don't like them!" She leaned forward and buried her head against his shoulder. "I don't like _them_!"

Godric cleared his throat and stiffly patted her back. He had caused more tears than could fill an ocean during his time on this earth, but her tears made him…uncomfortable. It was so strange to feel anything other than numbness and remorse.

"Would you like to go to the fair tonight?" The words seemed to pop out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he internally winced. Since when did he ever speak without knowing exactly what would be said?

She sat up, and the joyful look on her face made him…happy. Another odd feeling.

"A-Are you sure you want to go with us?" she asked, suddenly doubtful.

He thought of the piles of work he needed to do, and weighed it against the fragile look of hope on her face, and the way she clutched at the bear she had named after him. He was no stranger to giving pain to others, yet found that he had no desire to hurt her. Already her scent was changing, and turning softer with her happier emotions.

"Yes, little firefly, I truly wish to go with both of you."

Her smile made the following night's double workload worth it.

* * *

"Do you remember the rules?" he asked, as they paused outside the entrance to the fair.

"Yeeeees," she sighed and bounced in place with her bear tucked securely under her arm. Her brown eyes were alight with excitement. "Don't mention vampires because they don't exist, and call you by your name. I like Mr. Sheriff Sir more, but Godric is really pretty. It sounds like the name of a flower. Do you like flowers? Flowers make teddy sneeze, and it's funny. Do you like bees? I don't! I got stung once and ran around in circles until daddy pulled the stinger out."

Godric slightly smiled, and wondered what he had gotten himself into. He was 2000 years old, but he had no clue what was going on in this child's mind. At least she smelled happy and content, and not sad like she had before. "Yes, flowers are lovely, and bees can indeed be problematic." He turned to walk into the mass of humans, and glanced down when a small hand slipped into his own.

Alex watched wide-eyed at the huge number of people at the fair. She was nervous but she squeezed Mr. Sheriff….no, Mr. Godric's hand, and felt better. The tight, fluttering feeling in her chest eased, and she felt the warm feeling wrap around her. She was safe and secure. She bounced in place, she couldn't wait to ride the ponies! Teddy agreed, and hoped that they wouldn't be scared of him since he was a bear!

She tugged on his hand. "Mr. Godric!"

He glanced down at her and shook his head. "Just Godric, Alex."

She worried her bottom lip, but nodded. Since she and teddy were going to marry him when they grow'd up, she supposed it wasn't rude to not call him 'Mr'. "Godric, can we go see the ponies now?"

He nodded, and began to walk where the scent of horses seemed strongest. The humans subconsciously moved out of his way, which he found himself grateful for. Even though he was dressed in jeans and a grey t-shirt and looked the part of a youth, they could sense that something about him was different. He wrinkled his nose slightly. Sometimes he cursed his acute senses as the scent of humanity, mixed with the fried food that they insisted on shoving into their mouths, along with the summer heat was not a pleasant smell. Not Bubonic Plague bad, but it had it's own unique overtones.

He looked down at the wide-eyed child who currently held her bear up to look at a nearby attraction. "You will not be eating any of the so-called food here."

She blinked, but decided not to argue about not getting to eat funnel cake, even though Mrs. Rosie had said it was wonderful, and smelled super yummy. "Okay, I ate dinner already with Mrs. Rosie. It was good. Except for the peas. Godric?" she asked, and skipped next to him. "Why are vegetables so mushy and nasty if they're good for you?"

"One of life's great mysteries," he murmured, his attention caught by a slight scent upon the breeze. It was submerged behind the smell of deep fried heart attacks on a stick before he could isolate it, but it put him slightly on guard.

She giggled and happily swung their hands as they walked. "You're funny. Oh! Look! Ponies!" she cried, and ran forward to stand at the fence.

He stood next to her and looked at the shaggy animals that were old, and had seen better days. In his day they would have been in the soup pot long ago, but he thought he remembered hearing that humans did not eat horses in the New World. Pity, he vaguely remembered them being rather tasty. The animals were attached to a wheel and walked in a continuous circle with their small riders safely on their backs.

"Can I ride one? Please?" she begged.

"Of course. Is that not one of the main reasons you wished to come to the fair?" he asked.

She gnawed on her lower lip and looked at what were, to her, huge horses. She saw the height requirement stick and held teddy up to it. He was way to short! She couldn't leave him alone out here to watch as she rode by herself. It would be really mean since he was just as excited as she was! Teddy agreed, and said that maybe they should ask Mr. Sheriff Sir about it. She glanced down at teddy and pulled on Mr. Sheriff Sir's pant leg.

He glanced down at her, again surprised at how freely she acted around him, as if she could not feel the power that he exuded that made so many uncomfortable around him. Not even his beloved son Eric treated him so irreverently. He found that he rather liked it.

"Godric?" she whispered. "Can my teddy ride too even though he's not tall enough? Can we ride together? Mr. Sheriff Sir doesn't want to ride alone. They're so big and strong!"

He glanced over at the ponies that barely came up to his sternum. "Yes, I imagine they would let the both of you ride together as long as you held him securely."

She looked up at him, worried that he would think that her teddy wasn't as brave as he was when he fought the hundred tentacle monsters in her closet with only a sword and shield. "My teddy isn't scared, it's just that he's never ridden a horse before. Um…do you think you could walk next to us in case teddy falls off?"

"Awww," a voice said from behind them, and Alex spun around and saw three blonde girls looking at them.

They giggled and looked at each other before one of them spoke. "She's adorable with her little teddy bear! Does she really think it can talk? Is she your sister?" She stared at Godric, and blushed. "I'm Anne, and these are my friends Stacy and Ashley."

Godric looked calmly at the young humans and politely responded, even though he did not approve of their comments about Alex. Nothing about them interested him, but he was used to being flirted with, and badly at that, by teenage humans who believed he was their age. Physically he may resemble them, but he had no interest in children. Especially not ones such as these entitled acting females. What did his son call such females? Ah, yes, a 'dime a dozen'.

Alex blinked as Anne attempted to put a hand on her Godric's arm, only to quickly change her mind at his pointed look.

"So, do you want to ditch the kid with her parental units and hang with us? We could have a good time…ride some rides, and you can win me a stuffed animal from one of the games. Or we can ditch this lame fair, and go see a movie. What do you say?" The girl pulled at her shirt, and lowered the already too low neckline.

"Go away!" Alex shouted and stepped in front of her Mr. Sheriff Sir. "He came to the fair with me and teddy, and you can't have him! We're gonna ride the ponies, and go pet the animals, and then ride the Ferris Wheel, and you're not invited!" Her small fists clenched on her teddy, and her face felt hot. How dare they try and take her Mr. Sheriff Sir away from her! Away from them!

"Woh, she definitely has a temper to match that red hair!" one of the girls laughed, and Alex grew even angrier that they weren't listening to her. Several of the adults in the area also laughed at the little girl, and she blushed even brighter when she saw that nobody took her seriously. She held teddy tighter to her chest. He wanted to leap out and throw something at the girls, but her daddy had said that 'she was not a monkey, and throwing things at people was not good behavior for a young lady' so she figured teddy shouldn't do it either. Even though he wasn't a girl teddy so didn't have to worry about being a 'young lady'. And even though she really, really wanted him to.

"Stop laughin' at me!" she said, and stomped her foot. Teddy really, really didn't like these girls, or the way they were batting their eye lashes at Mr. Sheriff Sir. He was so nice, and it was up to her to protect him from them! She puffed out her chest and nodded. She and teddy could protect him!

"Listen, little girl, go play on your ponies while we talk with your friend." Anne said snidely, all pretense of sweetness gone.

"You … you go away! We were here first! You're all just a bunch of-" she struggled to think of something bad enough to call them, before she remembered something Mr. Stan had called one of the human companions at the nest. "- of bimbos!"

The hand on her shoulder made her mouth snap shut, and she looked up to see Godric frown at her. Her lips trembled as she heard the comment that 'someone was in trouble', but relaxed at the soft look in his eyes. He turned away to look at the girls, and she wrapped her arms around herself and teddy.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I must decline." he said calmly, his face blank.

"Ah, c'mon man! She's just a stupid kid, wouldn't you rather hang out with us?" The girl licked her lips, and jutted out her hip. "You're a hottie and we could have some…fun."

He kept his face emotionless, even as he was disgusted by her actions. She was barely an adult by her kind's standards, and yet here she was willing to go off with some stranger. Even in his earlier days of gluttony and sexual excess, she would not have been to his personal taste.

"No." He ignored the sputtering teenagers, and turned to look at the amused fair employee. "She would like to ride with her bear, and for myself to walk next to them. Is this allowable?"

The man nodded. "Sure, lots of times the kids are scared of riding the horses so it's not unusual for someone to walk next to them. Go ahead, son."

Alex blushed bright red. "My teddy isn't afraid of riding the ponies!" She grabbed Mr. Sheriff Sir's hand though, and pulled him away from the still watching girls. "I still want you to walk next to us. Don't worry, Godric, I'll protect you from those girls!"

* * *

The pony ride had been so awesome, and she and teddy had pretended they were knights fighting evil wizards as the ponies galloped around the circle. "Did you see how fast we were going? Did you?! Teddy and I didn't even fall off! "

Godric chuckled at the excited girl. The horses had been so old they didn't even react to his predatory scent, and the fastest they had moved was at an arthritic shuffle. Yet if he hadn't walked next to them, her excited bouncing would have caused her to fall off every other creaky step.

"You did well, little one. Now, I believe the next item on your list was the Ferris Wheel. I think once we are on it, though, we need to have a talk about your actions with those females."

Alex pouted. Why was Mr. Sheriff Sir angry? She and teddy had protected him, just like he had protected them from the tentacle monsters! Teddy had growled and been super ferocious, and she had made sure they couldn't touch him again. She sighed. Why did adults always make things so hard?

They got on the Ferris Wheel and Alex sat in a miserable huddle with her teddy clenched in her arms. Teddy thought that maybe Godric was mad at them, and the idea made her hurt. She knew they had been _a little _naughty, and that if her daddy had heard her talk like that then she would have been in Big Trouble.

It was quiet as the Ferris Wheel started to turn, and something she had been so excited all day to do, now only made her miserable. She traced the sheriff's badge on her teddy's chest and wondered if Mr. Sheriff Sir was going to yell at them.

"Teddy wants to know if you are you mad at us." she whispered.

"I am not angry. Yet how you behaved, and the name you called them, was very unkind. What made you act in such a way? I would not have left you to go with them," he said calmly.

"They shouldn't have laughed at me! We were having a good time and-," she twisted to look up at him as they rose higher into the air, "-they came and tried to take you away!" Tears welled and she wiped at her eyes. "You're ours, not theirs!"

He stared. That was not exactly the answer he had been expecting. He had thought she was afraid he would leave her alone in a strange place. "Excuse me?"

"T-Teddy and I talked about it, and we decided that we are going to marry you when we got older!" She nodded firmly. "You're _ours, _and they shouldn't have tried to touch you!"

He had just been claimed by a 5 year old and a teddy bear, and he took a moment to again thank whatever deity may exist that Eric had not heard this proposal. He would never have lived it down. Though the idea of having a Fated Mate in this bright and compassionate girl …of being so blessed…he shook his head. He didn't deserve such a gift, and the girl in front of him did not know that her affections were not hers to give. She was destined for another, and this innocent crush she seemed to have developed for him would pass.

The shy hand that slipped into his brought his attention back to the hopeful looking girl.

"I wont be grow'd up for a long, long time but when I am we can get married. We can sit out by the pond and catch fireflies every night, and you can chase away the tentacle monsters, and I can go into your office and keep you company, and…and…you can even hold my bear if you want to." Now nervous, her thumb slipped into her mouth and she sucked on it as she cuddled her teddy into her chest. Her bear was the most important thing she had, but teddy agreed that he would let Mr. Sheriff Sir hold him and care for him too.

Godric stilled as her innocent words made something in his chest, perhaps his long dead heart, clench. He could see her nerves, but also her hope, as she stared up at him. Now he only had to figure out how not to crush her heart.

His eyes never left hers, and his voice, when he answered, was whisper soft and very, very gentle. Only Eric had ever gotten such a tone from him, and only in the earliest days after his Turning.

"Little firefly, your words honor me, but as you grow up your opinion and thoughts will change." He ghosted his hand soothingly down her hair, and lightly tugged at the end of her braid. "I would not hold you to a promise you made as a child. You, and your teddy, will meet another who will be worthy of your bond. Do you understand?"

"No."

Godric slightly smiled. Rarely did he hear that word. "No?"

She shook her head so vigorously that her hair started to come out of its neat braid. "Teddy and I already made up our minds. We talked about it _lots_! You're super nice, and you have pretty eyes like a thundercloud, and you are really brave, and you keep us safe, and you smell good!"

Godric struggled to keep his face solemn. Thunderclouds? That was a new one. He had smiled, laughed, and been more confused by this girl than he had been by any other soul for centuries. Perhaps it was because she was a Fated Mate…but no, he had met others of her kind before, and they had never made him feel so fiercely protective yet also oddly gentle. It had to be her youth and her age. He had seen the other vampires in his nest struggle with their need to pamper and keep her safe. Yet it seemed she preferred the company of himself, and his lieutenants, and only wanted to be left alone by the others.

"How about this then, little firefly. We will agree to disagree on this, but you may bring the question up again when you are 18." By which time, he knew, she would have felt The Pull towards her actual mate, and would have long forgotten him. The thought oddly depressed him, but he ignored it.

She looked at her teddy, and they seemed to have a brief conversation, before she nodded. "Okay." She held out her hand. "Shake on it? Daddy says that humans always want to shake hands at the end of a deal."

She took his hand and shook it energetically up and down, and he slightly smiled at her exuberance.

She held teddy up towards him. "You have to shake his hand too."

With a solemn expression he grabbed the toy's paw and gave it a gentle shake. "There. It's a deal. Now let's enjoy the rest of the ride, and then we will go to the petting zoo. After that, I think it's time we left so you can get to bed."

With a happy sigh she snuggled into her Mr. Sheriff Sir's side and watched as the Ferris Wheel began its descent. She _was _getting sleepy, but she had a warm glow deep in her chest. She had asked him, and he had said yes! Teddy glared at her and she blushed. Okay, so, she and _teddy _had asked him…but he had still said yes! Well, he had said that they would talk again when she was 18, but she just knew that he would say yes to her. She glanced up at him and saw that he had his blank face on again as he looked off into the distance. That was okay, though. He was probably thinking about how much fun they were going to have catching fireflies, and whatever it was married people did when she, and teddy of course, got older.

The feeling in her chest grew stronger and she smiled, content with the world and her place in it.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews my story! I try to respond to all the reviews but if I missed you, or if you reviewed as a guest, then THANK YOU! As always, a special thanks to Midnat. **

**Here's the usual Disclaimer Of Importance. **

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"And then!" Alex said. "We rode the Ferris Wheel and talked, and he agreed he would marry us when me and teddy got older!" She stood on a chair next to the counter as she carefully stirred the batter for the cake Mrs. Rosie was making. She and teddy were so excited! Chocolate cake was their favorite, and Mrs. Rosie had even let her crack the eggs!

Mrs. Rosie smiled down at the happy child. Her family had served Mr. Godric's for several generations and, while they had all been glamoured to never speak of it, she had always known that the quiet and somber 'teenager' with old looking eyes was a vampire.

"So he agreed to marry you, did he?" she asked, curious on what the Sheriff had _actually _said.

"Yep. He said that when I was eighteen I could ask him about it again, but I know he'll say yes! He even shook hands with me and teddy too. Humans do that when they have a deal! Me and teddy are both sa-tis-feed." she said importantly. "Did I tell you that he saved us from two _hundred _tentacle monsters in my closet with only a sword? He was amazing!" she gushed. "He moved his sword back and forth so fast I couldn't even see it move!" She raised the mixing spoon and swung it back and forth, and splattered cake batter across the counter next to her teddy. "Oops!"

The housekeeper bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Yes, child, you've told me a time or two." Or, rather, several times every day for the past week with each retelling growing a little more _interesting_. This time she almost lost her composure at the girl's words. She didn't know why Alex was special to the vampires, but she did know that ever since the girl came to stay with them, the house seemed happier.

Carefully the two poured the batter into the greased cake pans and were about to put them in the oven when the kitchen door slammed open and one of the day guards that doubled as a groundskeeper staggered in. Blood dripped from his mouth and he gurgled a warning, before he fell to the floor.

Alex grabbed her teddy and held him to her chest. "M-Mrs. Rosie?"

The housekeeper immediately grabbed Alex and shoved her out of the kitchen. "Child!" she hissed. "Run and hide! It's noon, and not even the Sheriff will be awake. Hide, and no matter what you hear, only come out if I, or the Sheriff, come for you. Go!"

Alex shook, absolutely terrified as she heard loud voices enter the kitchen. The shouted, 'Where's the little bitch?!' made her turn and dash towards the stairs. Angrily, she blinked tears away. Her daddy had started to teach her how to climb and hide, and now she needed to take care of herself and teddy until Mr. Sheriff Sir woke up. He was going to be so mad, and the mean men were going to regret coming here! She took a deep breathe She wanted him to be proud of her and teddy when he woke up and found that they had managed to hide from the bad men! Teddy was scared, but she would take care of them both! She would be strong, and Mr. Sheriff Sir would be so proud of her! Maybe even give her a hug!

She ran up to the third floor and dashed towards Mr. Sheriff Sir's office, but it was locked.

"Teddy," she whispered. "What are we gonna do?" Teddy didn't know, but he was really scared, and cuddled closer to her. They needed to hide!

Loud footsteps started on the stairs, along with the sound of things breaking. She dashed down the hall to her bedroom, and her eyes went to her bed with the pretty canopy and bed skirt that made her feel like a princess. She gulped and looked down at her bear. There was only one place she could hide…and she really, really hoped that Mr. Sheriff Sir had scared the monsters off for good! She shoved teddy under the bed skirt to look for any monsters, but he said there was nothing there. Footsteps stopped outside of the door, and she dove under the bed.

She and teddy laid there, shivering as the door shattered. He buried his head into her neck, and they both tried to be super quiet like a bunny rabbit. The bed skirt fell all the way to the floor, and she could only hear the slow steps as they moved around her bedroom, and then all was quiet. She looked at her bear, and they both breathed a big sigh of relief that they had escaped. The room was quiet, and she cuddled her face into Mr. Sheriff Sir's soft tummy.

They were safe.

She screamed when her bed was flipped over, and blinked up at the bright light. Above her was one of the mean men that had spoken to Mr. Sheriff Sir in his office.

"What have we here?" he said coldly. "Looks like the little cupcake decided to hide under the bed, but the monsters found her anyway!"

"Go away!" she shouted, and scrambled to her feet, teddy held tightly to her chest. She had to protect them, but they were so small and he was so very big! She ran towards the door, but cried out when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She twisted and bit down on the arm holding her, bit down like she had seen her brothers and daddy do. The man howled, and gripped her shoulder tighter, even as the nails tore into her skin. Teddy growled, but the man ignored her brave little bear.

"Leave us alone! Mr. Sheriff Sir is going to be mad at you when he wakes up!" She tried to claw and kick at him, but he just laughed and shook her until she hung limp. She and teddy glared up at him, but refused to let him see their tears. "You're a bad man!"

The man sneered, but the sight of her clutching her stuffed toy had some modicum of decency come to the surface, and he lowered her to the floor. "He did nothing when my teenage children were tormented and tortured by filthy vampires. Let's see what he does when one of his precious fang whores is taken. You must be extra special for him to bother keeping you here, and to play happy family with you at the Fair."

Another voice from the doorway spoke up. "Jesus, Ryan, she's a little kid! Just pick her up so we can get out of here. The scent and feel in this place is freaking me out! I say we burn it to the ground!"

"No." Ryan snapped, and Alex trembled in his arms. "I want the leech to know what happened here, in his own _nest. _If he doesn't hand over the vampire responsible for my children, then he can get her back in _pieces_."

Alex clawed at the arm holding her, but there was nothing she could do. She looked down at her scared teddy, and her lip quivered. She didn't want to be alone, but she didn't want her bear to get hurt either. He argued with her, told her he would keep her safe, but with a sob she dropped him to the floor. She stared at him as she was carried out of the room. Hopefully Mr. Sheriff Sir would keep him safe for her!

* * *

The sun had just set when Godric abruptly awoke. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He took a deep breathe, and the next moment the door to his safe room exploded outward. Within a blink he was in the kitchen, and stared at the destruction of the once orderly room. Tables and chairs were overturned, and one of the groundskeepers was dead. The housekeeper, however, was still alive and tied to a chair, her mouth gagged. Godric listened, but there was no other heartbeat in his nest, and his instincts rose. He knew the scent in the room, as the wolf had made no attempt to conceal it.

He carefully removed the gag and ropes. "Where is Alex?"

"Mr. Godric! Four big men came in at noon. I told Alex to run, to hide and to not come out, but they knocked me out and by the time I woke up the house was quiet. I…I think they took her!" The elderly woman began to sob. "That poor, innocent lamb!"

Godric took another deep breathe and the very faint scent of a Fated Mate's blood…of _Alex's _blood, caught his attention. Without a backward glance, he followed her scent up the stairs to his locked office door. The low pitch growl brought Stan and Isabel to his side, although they kept a cautious distance. She had tried to go to where she felt safest, and when she could not enter his office, she had fled to her bedroom. He could practically taste the fear in her scent, and the eyes he turned on his underlings made them flinch away as his power swelled in the room. There would not be a vampire in his Area that did not intimately know his displeasure this eve.

"Sheriff," Isabel whispered. "Please, pull it back. It is too much."

His eyes flickered over the cringing vampires, and he viciously tamped down his anger even as he felt the bonds to his children crash open. He ignored their shocked inquiry, as he stepped over the shattered door to Alex's room. He felt something, his heart perhaps, clench when he saw the little bear on the floor next to two small drops of blood. The bed had been flipped and shoved into the wall, and the canopy hung in shredded ribbons. He could smell her in the area that had been under the bed, and could only guess that she had hidden there. The fear she must have felt, to have willingly hid where she believed monsters to dwell, made his anger finally reach heights that had not been felt since his son was a newly Turned vampire.

His voice, when he addressed his underlings, was arctic. "Isabel, I wish to know how my nest was infiltrated by four Weres. You will glamour every human companion within these walls to see if any of them had a hand in this travesty, and then speak with the vampires. Stan, you will come with me.

"Where are we going?" Stan asked.

"To find the Packmaster, and demand answers."

* * *

She huddled in the corner of the room and hugged herself, her eyes trained on the closed door. She wanted Mr. Sheriff Sir, and she wanted her bear. She wanted to be back at the nest and to cuddle with Mr. Sheriff Sir while they watched the fireflies at the pond. She wanted the warm blanket feeling to be back!

She scrambled back as the door opened, and her thumb slipped into her mouth when a woman entered with a plate of food, the mean man directly behind her in the doorway.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetie pie." the woman soothed. "Here, I brought you some dinner."

Her stomach rumbled, and Alex really, really wanted to eat even if a lot of the stuff on the plate was green. She looked from it to the woman. "My daddy told me to never take food from strangers."

The woman smiled and nodded. "Sweetie, your…daddy…is right, but what if I tell you my name? We wouldn't be strangers then." The sickly sweet baby talk voice made Alex frown.

She glared and pushed back further into the corner. "I'm not a stupid baby, I'm _five! _Daddy told me that anybody he, or my brothers, didn't know was a stranger. I want to go home! I want Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

The woman frowned and shook her head, even as the man in the doorway scoffed. "Look, I know you're scared, but it's a good thing that you're here, as no child should live in a leech's nest. You can stay here, and we can try and find your real family."

"They are my real family! Please, I want to go home! I want my teddy!" She turned her back on the woman and curled up into a small ball. She hoped Mr. Sheriff Sir had found her teddy, she knew he had to be worried about her. She sniffled when her shoulder hit the wall, it really hurt where the bad man had gripped her! She had bled a little, and she hoped that when Mr. Sheriff Sir came that she could get some band-aids that had Batman on them. Even though Mr. Sheriff Sir was so much cooler than Batman! She wondered if he would kiss it to make the ouch go away. Mrs. Rosie had done that when she had hurt her finger, and it had made it feel a lot better!

The woman sighed and turned towards her companion. "Ryan, are you sure they were hurting her? I don't see any marks on her, and she seems well fed."

"Clara, don't get attached to her! She's our ticket to getting the vamp that hurt our kids! Now, drop the food off and get out here. The corpses should be up by now and I suspect that we will get a phone call soon from the Packmaster."

The door shut, and Alex scuttled under the bed, and out of sight. She would rather deal with the tentacle monsters that might be there rather than the mean man again. She felt better in the small space, more secure, and finally she began to drift off to sleep. Mr. Sheriff Sir would come, probably on a white horse with a sword like in the Disney movies, and he would save her! She wondered if he would let her ride on his horse with him. Hopefully he would bring her teddy, and she would give both of them a kiss on the cheek. In the movies the princess always kissed the prince on the mouth, but that was gross! Kissing on the mouth was yucky, and she would never ever do that! Not even when they got married! Nuh uh! Nope.

Her eyes closed and she sighed. She couldn't wait for Mr. Sheriff Sir to save her. When he did, she was going to hug him and not let go for hours and hours!

* * *

Godric paused in his address to the Area vampires. He could feel his son approaching, the anger and worry he had felt enough to pull Eric from his Area in Louisiana. His daughter also moved towards him, although much slower as she had not yet shown the gift of flight. Eric, however, would be here within minutes.

"You know what you have to do. Keep in contact with Stan, and if you should come across her scent you will immediately inform me. If I discover that you did not, I would be…displeased. And I promise you that I would find out, and my displeasure would become yours. Ten fold." He glared at his underlings, and nodded. "Dismissed."

The vampires shivered, not used to the fully unleashed cold power that the normally calm Sheriff gave off, and quickly vamp sped from the room. The front door opened to a blur of movement and his son fell to his knees before him.

"Maker," he said reverently. "I felt your anger in Louisiana."

Godric nodded, and moved towards his office. "Follow."

Once behind closed doors he spoke. "Last week the Packmaster came before me with one of his subordinate wolves with a claim that the man's older teenage children had been blood violated and beaten by vampires. I agreed to see them to validate their story, but something was off. The bites were made only to seem like that of a vampire, but both carried the smell of a rogue Shifter. The Packmaster accepted my ruling on the subject, but the other wolf disagreed." He kept his back turned to Eric, and picked up the small bear that sat on his desk. "Earlier today the Were, and three other wolves, entered my nest with the help of two companions who were not adequately glamoured by their vampires."

Eric shifted to see what his Maker held in his hands, the feelings he was getting across their bond were…odd. He blinked in shock and cast a worried look at his Maker. When did his Maker become interested in children's toys? Especially ones that had been obviously altered to have vampire fangs? Was it a warning, or a mockery, left by the intruders? Although it did smell surprisingly good, but not in a way that made him hungry. Also, was that pink glitter all over the floor? His skin itched as he had a flashback to the eighties, and Pam's obsession with glitter. The stuff got everywhere and he swore he still found some even years later. He shook his head and focused again on his Maker.

"Godric, what did they take? I have not felt such anger in centuries, and it seems a bit extreme for just a violation of your nest and authority."

"Two weeks ago one who I owed a favor asked me to temporarily care for his daughter. His adopted daughter." He carefully put down the teddy bear, but kept his back to his son. "It turned out that she is a Fated Mate."

Eric's eyes widened, before he was able to control himself. "A Fated Mate? Why would they chose to take _her_? Only vampires would be able to tell what she is, or would even care."

"Alex asked for me to escort her to the State Fair. While there I had thought I scented something vaguely familiar, but it dispersed before I could focus on it. My belief is he saw us there, and determined that her kidnapping would cause my opinion on his children's trouble to sway."

The Viking blinked, and then leered. "She got you to go to the State Fair? Is she gorgeous? Well endowed? How soon will she feel The Pull? The scent of her blood is enough that I envy the vampire who gets to bite that neck! The power such a mate would bring would be worth the hassle of being bound to only a single individual for eternity."

One moment Eric was talking to his Maker, the next he was up against a bookcase, Godric's hand around his neck.

"You will watch your tongue, my son. Do not forget yourself. Fated Mates, especially _this_ Fated Mate, are not to be made a mockery of. Is that understood?" His Maker's eyes were cold and hard as they stared into his.

"Yes, Maker." He shivered at the feel of his father's power pressed against him.

"Good," Godric nodded. "I have my Area vampires searching the city, yet the oldest of them is only 800 years, and our senses are far sharper. The Packmaster went to the rogue wolf's home but no one was there. Obviously they have another den where they have taken her."

"You are very concerned for her, father." Eric said. While others may see Godric as perfectly calm and in control, he had known him for centuries and could see the signs of severe stress and anger. It was unusual for Godric to care about anyone outside the bloodline to this extent. He wondered what sort of female this Fated Mate was, to inspire such emotion in his distant Maker. Obviously she must be beautiful, intelligent, witty, and sexy to have attracted, and be remotely worthy of, his Maker's attention. Perhaps she was even destined for Godric? If any deserved such a gift, it would be his father!

"I promised her she would be safe within my nest. It…distresses me that she has been harmed because of my actions."

"Godric, it's not-!" Eric began, before he was interrupted.

"I wish to speak no more on the subject. Come, we must go." Moving faster than even Eric could see, he grabbed the bear, and secured it in the inner pocket of his grey leather jacket. When he found Alex, he knew that she would want her teddy back in her possession.

"Where shall we fly first?" Eric asked.

Godric paused on the doorstep of his nest. For some reason, he felt a desire to go east, and within seconds two of the oldest vampires on the continent were flying over Dallas.

* * *

The sounds of crashing made Alex jerk awake. She moved further under the bed, scared about what would happen next. Suddenly, she relaxed as she felt the warm fuzzy blanket feeling wrap around her. Mr. Sheriff Sir was here! He had come for her! She so couldn't wait to tell him how brave she had been, and how she hadn't cried. She hoped that she could ride the white horse with him back to the nest!

The door to the room slammed open, but she kept still and quiet like her daddy taught her.

"Alex, I can hear your heartbeat and smell that you are here. Come out. I am Eric Northman, Child of Godric."

Her eyes widened and she poked her head out from under the bed. "Mr. Sheriff Sir is your daddy? Did you come on a horse too? Are you really a Viking? My brothers told me about you!" She giggled and scrambled to her feet. "Hi!" She craned her neck back and her mouth fell open. "Wow, you are super tall!"

Eric stared. When he had been told about the Fated Mate he had imagined a girl on the cusp of eighteen and almost ready to feel The Pull towards her vampire mate. Not a teacup human who beamed up at him and bounced on her toes, her red hair mostly pulled from it's braid. His eyes narrowed on her shoulder and the blood he could see, and smell, on her clothes. His instincts rose, and he growled that a filthy Were would dare to lay his hands on her.

He ignored her questions and looked her over from the mismatched socks on her feet to the, he would never admit it out loud, adorable overalls. "You are a little girl." he said finally.

Her mouth dropped open and she pouted. "I'm _five_! That's practically all grow'd up!" She leaned around him. "Where is Mr. Sheriff Sir? I want to give him his kiss!"

Eric blinked, and his lips twitched at the girl's name for his Maker. If nothing else, the teacup appeared to have some charm. He supposed he would have to talk to her to keep her occupied while his Maker dispensed some justice to the idiots downstairs. "You plan on kissing my Maker?"

She stared at him as if he was an idiot. "He rode up on a white horse and saved me, just like in the Disney movies! All the princesses kiss the prince, except I'm only gonna kiss his cheek because kissing on the mouth is yuck!" She paused, and eyeballed the super tall vampire in front of her. "Um…do I have to kiss you too, since you saved me?"

Eric struggled not to sneer. She may be a Fated Mate, and her scent may make him feel protective, but in no way was he going to hold still for _that. _Sometimes it was every vampire for himself and, unfortunately for him, Godric was not here. "No, that will not be necessary. Godric is the one to have really saved you, and so should get all of the…reward." At her doubtful look he had a stroke of brilliance. "You wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, would you?"

Her eyes widened at the thought of hurting her favoritist vampire in the whole wide world. Well, her favoritist after her daddy, of course. She scrunched up her nose, she would never tell her daddy that she loved Mr. Sheriff Sir just a _smidge _more. She didn't want to hurt her daddy's feelings! She worried at the problem of who was her favoritist vampire, and finally decided they could share it so nobody would cry. She nodded her head to herself, and beamed up at the super tall vampire in front of her. Teddy would be so proud of her decision! He loved Mr. Sheriff Sir too!

"You have pretty hair. Like a princess!" she blurted out.

Eric rolled his eyes. Great, he was just compared to some inbred, damsel-in-distress cartoon character by a miniature human.

Alex froze, and smiled as the warm feeling grew stronger. Mr. Sheriff Sir was almost here!

Eric watched the girl's face light up as she looked past him. He could sense his Maker in the doorway, and watched the two with interest. He couldn't wait to tell his sister about this, she would never believe him.

"Little firefly." Godric said quietly.

Her lips trembled at her nickname, the adrenaline that had kept her going for the last few hours finally fading away. "Mr. Sheriff Sir, I knew you would come for me." She looked up at him, the adoration and trust plain to see.

He vamp sped and knelt in front of her. He growled at the spots of blood on her shoulder and brushed cool fingertips over the wounds, the touch as soft as a butterfly's wings. "Were you hurt anyplace other than this?" he asked gently. If the answer was yes, he would go back and break the rest of the bones in the Were's bodies before he killed them.

"She shook her head, and her chin began to wobble as she looked up into warm grey eyes. "I tried to hide, like my daddy taught me, but he found me under my bed. I-I was bad and tried to get into your office even though it's not allowed. I'm s-sorry. Are you mad at me? Did you see teddy? I left him so he wouldn't get hurt, and could tell you what happened. I didn't cry at all!" A single tear traced down her cheek, and she finally broke.

"I-I was so s-scared!" she wept, and flung herself into Mr. Sheriff Sir's arms. Safe. She was safe. Nothing could hurt her here. She turned her face into his neck and let out all the pain and fear she had bottled up.

Godric held the child close, and breathed in her scent. She needed a bath, as he despised the smell of the wolf on her, but underneath it all was that of a frightened Fated Mate. She was also tired, hungry and currently clung to his neck hard enough that he would have been in danger of strangulation if he actually needed to breathe.

"Little one," he whispered, and awkwardly rubbed her back as she sobbed noisily into his throat. He could feel his Child's surprise at his tone, but ignored him. "Alexandra," he soothed gently. "You are safe." At her name, she finally began to calm.

With one hand he unzipped his jacket, and pulled out the small bear. "I have something for you."

"My bear!" She cuddled him close, but refused to give up her grip on her Mr. Sheriff Sir. Teddy was happy to be back with her, and told her all about how Mr. Sheriff Sir had ridden a white horse to save her, and had fought evil witches and dragons to find her! Her teddy had missed her as much as she had missed him, but he had liked spending time with Mr. Sheriff Sir too.

"Come, it is time to go back to the nest." Godric went to put the child down, but she clung to him like a baby koala.

"Are we gonna ride the white horse?" she asked excitedly, tears forgotten.

Godric ignored the amused snort from his son and looked at her in confusion. "White horse?"

She stared up at him, and he absentmindedly wiped the tears away. "Well, yeah. Princes always ride white horses to save the princess from the evil dragons!" She leaned up and gave him a noisy, and wet, kiss on the cheek. Teddy was jealous, but just this once she was going to ignore her bear. Mr. Sheriff Sir had come to save _her,_ so only she should get to kiss him!

Godric stared in consternation at the girl. He wanted to wipe his cheek off from the rather damp kiss, but at the same time she looked so pleased with herself he didn't want to hurt her. He sent a strong surge of disapproval to his laughing progeny, strong enough to cause Eric to stagger, before he vamp sped out of the house. He somehow managed to shrug out of his leather jacket and wrap it snugly around the clinging girl to hide her from the view of the Packmaster and other watching Weres.

"I trust you will deal with this appropriately?" Godric warned, and his power rose and pressed against the subdued pack. Unlike the others the girl in his arms only snuggled closer, and gave a happy sigh. "He drew blood from one under my protection. Tell him the truth you uncovered of his children and the rogue Shifter, and know that if he is not adequately punished the broken bones he currently suffers will be nothing compared to what shall befall him."

At the Packmaster's nod, Godric rose into the air and flew quickly towards his nest. Once there he nodded to Isabel and Stan. "Recall the Area vampires to the nest. This night we will have a meeting about what is the proper glamouring needed for human companions leading up to the Great Revelation. Also, the punishment for the vampires whose humans gave access to the nest will occur. We will meet in two hours. Dismissed. Isabel, come with me." He led the way up the stairs to his office as Isabel and his son followed.

Alex jerked awake from her light doze and her head popped out of the leather jacket. "Ms. Isabel?" She grinned at the female vampire. "Ms. Isabel! Mr. Sheriff Sir saved me! I was super brave! I bit the mean man who took me just like my daddy and brothers do!" She glanced down at teddy and nodded. "Teddy said that it's too bad that I don't have fangs like his 'cause I can't bite too hard with my human teeth."

She shyly glanced up at Godric as they entered the office and he sat her down on the desk. "I have boo boos on my shoulder. Can I have batman band-aids? Can you kiss them and make them feel better like Mrs. Rosie did to my finger?"

Godric sighed as he shared a bemused glance with Isabel, and ignored his amused son. He could sense his daughter approaching, and knew that she too would soon find enjoyment in his strange predicament.

"Isabel?" he asked quietly, and she vamp sped away and back with the first aid kit they had restocked when Alex had come to stay with them.

Alex looked down at teddy and worried that there would be the white fizzy stuff that hurt when it was put on a cut. Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't do that to her, would he? Teddy didn't know but said that maybe if she didn't say anything, he would forget. Teddy hoped that he got a batman band-aid too!

Isabel easily tore the tattered shirt over the girl's arm and the three vampires hissed at the five puncture wounds. Most were superficial except where his thumb had ripped at her skin. She glanced mischievously at her Sheriff and handed over the recently bought Batman band-aids. This should be rather interesting. "Here."

Godric stared down at the box which, for some reason, had the outline of a bat against a yellow background. He opened the package only to contemplate the separate pieces of bandage. How was he to open them? Did she not need something to wrap around her arm instead?

Alex looked up from her giggling teddy and bounced excitedly. Mrs. Rosie had bought her these band-aids, and they were super cool! "Can I open them? Please? It's my favoritist part! Kinda like opening a present."

Gladly, he handed them over and carefully watched as the girl peeled the outer paper away and pulled off two backings that hid the plastic smelling adhesive. Before she could hand it to him, he quickly smeared on the antibacterial ointment that Isabel gave him.

He looked at the very small bandage. "Are you sure it is big enough?" he asked doubtfully. Granted, the wounds were not large, but they seemed very inadequate.

Isabel shared an amused glance with Eric and nodded. "Yes, they are typical of modern day bandages, Sheriff."

Alex peeled five band-aids and watched Mr. Sheriff Sir carefully place them over her boo boos. "Can teddy have one too?" she asked hopefully. She held up his soft leather paw pad. "He hurt his paw!"

Godric felt he was getting a lot of unneeded practice in ignoring the amusement from both his progeny and his underling as he carefully smoothed a band-aid over the paw of a stuffed animal named after him. The smile she gave him soothed his ruffled feathers and he admitted, if only to himself, that he was glad the strange ordeal of healing a human was over. Now she could go to bed, and he could deal with the Area meeting. He started to turn away, when he felt a small hand slip into his.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! You forgot to kiss them to make them all better!" Alex begged. "Please?"

"Child, I cannot give you my blood, you know this. So how can my kissing them make them 'all better'?"

She huffed. "I don't know, it's magic! It just works, and Mr. Sheriff Sir's paw really hurts too!"

Godric winced and resigned himself to the inevitable.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir?" Eric asked gleefully. "You named your bear after Godric?"

She beamed. Teddy loved his name, it made him feel big and strong like a real bear! She wiggled on the desk and almost fell off before Ms. Isabel grabbed her. "Yeah! Mr. Sheriff Sir got him for me, so I named him after him because he's big and tough just like Mr. Sheriff Sir! Did you know that he fought off four _hundred _tentacle monsters in my closet and under my bed? With a huge sword?" She again bounced excitedly in her seat and looked up at her Mr. Sheriff Sir, who looked rather weird.

She leaned forward and loudly whispered, "Mr. Sheriff Sir…does your tummy hurt? You look like it does. Do you want to hug teddy so you feel better?"

Eric grinned wickedly and looked at his frustrated Maker. This information was pure gold! "So Godric fought off four hundred monsters with only a single sword?"

"Yep! He was so brave! Teddy and I saved him too though! We met these…these _bimbos _at the pony ride. We told them he was ours, and we were going to marry him when we grow'd up so they couldn't have him." She shared a happy glance with her teddy. They would never let Mr. Sheriff Sir be sad and alone again!

Godric sighed, and debated if he would be the first vampire to need an antacid. "I said you could bring up the subject again, child, once you reached eighteen. I also remember that episode happening a little differently, although you still managed to remember Stan's unfortunate word choice."

Isabel struggled to hold in her smile, and carefully began to clean up the band-aid trash. The pieces got everywhere, much like the pink glitter from Alex's art projects which were all over the floor of the office. It definitely gave an interesting ambiance to the Sheriff's innermost domain of authority and power.

At her stubborn look he decided that perhaps it would be best to distract her from revealing anything _else _to his son. He quickly leaned down and lightly pressed his lips to each band-aid.

"There, it is all better now."

Alex beamed, but frowned when teddy grumbled about his hurt paw. "You forgot teddy's paw!"

Reluctantly, he leaned down to press a kiss against the toy's 'wounded' paw, his attention solely on getting out of the situation with his dignity intact. A sudden shift within him made him close his eyes in defeat.

"Father," a female voice demanded from the door. "Why are you kissing a teddy bear?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm not in a coma somewhere unable to write (there have been some questions sent to me about that, lol) just super busy with life and trying to write three different stories. As always, thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews! I hope you enjoy it and that it is worth the wait. Midnat, once again thank you for helping me herd my crazy plot flamingos into some sort of order. PS- For anyone who is waiting for an update on "Ancients", it's almost done!**

**Disclaimer: I only own what True Blood hasn't called dibs on. Although I'm willing to fight them on the Godric part of that, lol!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Alex looked at the pretty lady in the doorway and waived. "Hi! I'm Alex! Do you have boo boos too? Me and teddy's Mr. Sheriff Sir is super good at kissing them and making them feel better! He's so awesome!" She beamed up at her vampire, and slipped her hand into his. Teddy wanted to hold hands with him too, but she pretended she didn't hear his grumbles.

If Eric had needed to breathe, his suppressed laughter at the expression on his sister's face probably would have killed him. The fact that his Maker had been claimed by a child and a stuffed toy was only the…how did the humans put it? Ah, the 'icing on the cake'!

Nora stared at the strange sight of a small human touching her feared Maker with nary a concern…and the incredible fact that her famously standoffish Maker allowed it! In fact, he seemed to subconsciously wrap his ancient power around the girl, who only seemed to bask in it in return. Who was she? Her Maker did not believe in taking pets, and even if she did, the girl was years too young.

She took a deep breathe, and stiffened. Godric had been a thorough teacher, and she stared at the youngest Fated Mate she had ever seen, her eyes now trained on the semi-hidden shimmering marks on her throat and wrists.

"Father…what…how?"

Alex's eyes widened, and she and teddy looked at each other. "Mr. Sheriff Sir is your daddy too, like he is Mr. Eric's?" She bounced up and down on the desk. "Are you Naughty Nora? My brother Bennett told me all about you! Well," she said honestly, and leaned against Mr. Sheriff Sir's comfy arm. "I actually was s'posed to be sleeping, but my brothers were talking about 'vampire hotties'. Why are you naughty? Do you get put in Time Out a lot like me and teddy? Time Out is the worst!"

She yawned, and looked at the wide-eyed vampires. Why were they looking at her like that? Teddy said they were probably jealous that she was holding hands and snuggled up to Mr. Sheriff Sir. She puffed her chest out, proud that out of all of them Mr. Sheriff Sir let _her _cuddle with him. Teddy felt super proud too, and they couldn't wait to brag to Mrs. Rosie! Teddy just knew that she would be really impressed!

She looked back at the pretty new vampire. "And what's a hottie? Josiah said that Bennett liked you, and wanted to kiss you, and Bennett tried to beat him up until daddy told them they were being 'bad role models'. Do you want to kiss my brother? Kissing on the mouth is yucky! I kissed my Mr. Sheriff Sir on the cheek because he saved me from the mean man! Just like Prince Charming in the movies! Even though he didn't have a white horse!"

Nora looked over at her brother, who seemed to struggle to keep his composure, and a slow, wicked smile spread across her face. "Yes, my father can be very dashing, just like Prince Charming, although it is such a shame about the lack of a white horse!" She gave a twinkling smile to her narrow-eyed Maker and turned back to the little girl. "And no Alex, I was not put in Time Out. I do believe your brothers were teasing each other, and did not actually mean that I had been bad. Also, a 'hottie' is a term used to say that someone is attractive." Nora grinned at the blank look on the child's face. "Attractive means pretty."

Alex's eyes widened and she turned and loudly whispered to Ms. Isabel. "Does that mean that my Mr. Sheriff Sir is a hottie? Me and teddy think he's super pretty! He has thundercloud eyes!"

Isabel bit her lip, and looked away from her resigned Sheriff. Most people would be unable to see beyond his blank face, but she had worked as his lieutenant for four hundred years both in Denmark and in Dallas. Frankly, she had not seen him so bemused in decades. She grinned and shared a look with Eric and Nora. Thundercloud eyes! God, she wanted to laugh so hard, but the warning glare from her Sheriff, and the sweet look on Alex's face, made her bite her tongue. And where had she picked up the idea to keep calling him 'hers'?

"Come," Isabel said. "I think it's time for a certain little girl and her teddy to have a bath before being put to bed. You smell unfortunately of wolf."

"But…I don't…" Alex sighed at the stern look Ms. Isabel gave her. "Mr. Sheriff Sir?" she asked, and tugged on his hand. "Will you make sure there are no monsters under the bed again? Can you tuck me and teddy in and give us a hug goodnight?"

Nora smirked at her beloved father. "Alex, of course he wouldn't mind scaring the monsters away! That's what princes do for their princesses!" She ignored her Maker's warning over their bond and smiled at the small girl. "So, just how _does _he scare the monsters away?"

Godric internally sighed and looked down at the proudly beaming child. He ruefully realized what was coming next and resigned himself to his daughter's teasing. As long as she did not make Alex feel bad or embarrassed, he would tolerate it. For awhile.

"By snicking down his fangs and growling of course! I thought _everybody _knew that! He scared away _six hundred_ of them last time!"

* * *

"Can I wear the fuzzy plurple footie pajamas with the bunnies on them? The ones with the bunny feet?" she asked. She really didn't want to go to bed, and struggled to think of some reason to stay up. Preferably with Mr. Sheriff Sir. What if the bad men came back when her vampire prince was asleep? The fear churned in her stomach and she didn't know how to make it go away.

"The word is 'purple' little one," Isabel said as she zippered her into the fleece pajamas. The girl was wan, and lacked her typical animation ever since the Sheriff had left worried her. "Alex, it will be okay. Godric has taken care of it, and now no one bad can get into the nest while we sleep. You are safe."

Alex fidgeted and looked down at her fleece covered feet that had eyes and bunny ears on them. "Mr. Sheriff Sir didn't keep me in the office when Ms. Nora came. She's super hottie too. Does…does he like her more than me and teddy? It's just…it'll be a long time before we're all grow'd up and can marry him."

Isabel paused and looked down at the worried little girl. The crush she had on the Sheriff was hilariously cute, especially since her normally unflappable Sheriff was not exactly sure how to deal with the situation. He could politely, or not so politely, turn away the most beautiful of both vampire and humans with nary any effort, but he seemed to flounder when it came to how to deal with the rather determined five-year-old and her teddy bear sidekick.

"Nora is his Child, so of course they are close, and you have had a full day and needed a bath before your bedtime. I don't think you should worry about such things, sweetheart. Did you not tell me several times that he agreed you could ask him to marry you again when you turned eighteen?" Isabel dearly hoped that when the girl grew that she would be Godric's mate. If only there was some way to tell, but alas they would have to wait until she felt The Pull. Her Sheriff refused to believe she could be, and she reluctantly admitted that the likelihood was farfetched. Unfortunately it was similar to someone actually winning the human lottery.

She shook her thoughts away and smiled brightly at her charge. "Now lets get you in bed so the Sheriff can scare the monsters away and tuck you in!"

* * *

Alex shivered under the covers and clutched teddy closer. Mr. Sheriff Sir had scared the monsters away again and tucked them in, even though she had had to tell him how to do it. She sniffled and nuzzled into teddy's soft belly. She didn't want to be alone. Okay, so she was with her bear, but the odd pulling and fluttering feeling in her chest made her whimper.

Ms. Isabel had moved her to a different room, but….a single tear rolled down her cheek. Teddy didn't want to be here either, even though she had tried to hug him and make him feel better. He shivered next to her under the covers and she gently rubbed his ears. She wanted Mr. Sheriff Sir to be here, to hold her hand, and to make her feel safe. To take care of both of them so she didn't have to be super brave in such a suddenly big and really scary world.

She knew there was an Important Meeting going on downstairs, and that Ms. Isabel had told her she had to stay in her room. If she was bad the Time Out would be super long the next night! She shifted on the bed and looked down at teddy. Her poor bear looked terrified, and he didn't want to be alone either! She climbed out of the huge bed and went to the dresser where she had hid Mr. Sheriff Sir's jacket. Teddy grumbled at her that it wasn't nice to steal things that weren't hers!

"I didn't steal it, teddy! I only borroweds it!" she whispered to her disapproving bear. They stared at each other until teddy reluctantly agreed that if they only _borrowed _it then surely Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't mind if they wore it so they could feel better! She quickly grabbed it before teddy changed his mind, and scurried back to the bed and climbed back up. She and teddy pulled it around them, and she sighed as Mr. Sheriff Sir's scent made the tight ball of fear in her tummy go away. Her thumb slipped into her mouth and she happily sighed. She still wanted Mr. Sheriff Sir, but this was kinda okay too.

Slowly, her eyes slid shut, and she fell asleep.

* * *

Godric sat and impassively stared at the gathered vampires, his children behind him as his lieutenants flanked him. The two vampires in front of him were guilty of not following the nest's rules that only fully glamoured companions were allowed access. So close the Great Revelation, such sloppy behavior could not be tolerated. The two female humans who had helped the Weres enter the nest, destroy the sanctity of his home, and kidnap Alex had already been glamoured and sent on their way. He was sure that both spoiled and vindictive females would enjoy their sudden desire to join the Peace Corps to teach reading to children in jungle villages. Specifically, villages without any sort of modern plumbing. He smirked maliciously at the thought of their future discomfort and was amused when the watching vampires cringed.

His voice and gaze was arctic as he finally addressed the cowering vampires. "You know the rules of this nest, and the consequences of choosing to ignore them. For your ineptitude, you will be wrapped in silver and buried for six months. Let this be a lesson to all of you." He paused, and seemed oddly distracted for a moment as his gaze flicked upwards.

A child's terrified scream split the air and all the vampires froze, all except Godric who moved so fast that one minute he was downstairs, and the next he was in the upstairs bedroom. He was vaguely aware that Isabel ordered everyone to disperse even as she, and his children, followed him towards Alex's new bedroom.

Before her scream had even begun to fade, he had her untangled from her sheets and cradled in his arms. He should have known she would have…what did humans call them? Ah, yes, nightmares. He didn't remember what it was like to dream, but she had had a rather bad day and he should have considered that her sleep would not be easy.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! Help!" she sobbed, and desperately twisted in his arms. "Please Godric! Don't let'em get me!"

Instinctively, a soft and gentle purr rumbled from his chest and immediately the flailing girl froze and pressed closer. He ignored Isabel's and his children's surprise, and concentrated on the upset child. He tenderly brushed her sweaty hair away from her forehead and marveled that she seemed to calm at his touch.

"Little one, it is but a dream. I am here, and you are safe." he whispered in the gentle soothing voice she seemed to respond best to. In an ancient language he whispered calming words to her as she began to settle. Her scent pulled at him, and her distress made him deeply uncomfortable. He wanted to find the Were that had taught her how to fear, and crush his bones until they were only powder within his body. For a moment he longed to return to the feral ways of his past, but he viciously stamped those emotions down.

"M-Mr. Sheriff Sir?" she asked, as her eyes struggled to open. "I-I had a bad dream. The mean men found me again, and you weren't here!" One shaking hand reached up to rest on his cheek, while the other made a tiny fist in his shirt. "You wouldn't leave me, would you?" she begged.

He could not lie to her, for eventually her family would return, and she would go on to live her life away from his nest. Away from his protection. The thought was oddly…disquieting. He settled her so she rested against his chest, and she burrowed into him. "As long as you are in my care, I will never willingly allow harm to come to you." he said finally, and his purr slightly deepened in response to her distressed scent.

Alex trembled, but the soft growl-y rumble, and Mr. Sheriff Sir's hand moving over her hair, made the last of her fear disappear. The weird pulling feeling in her chest was quiet too, and she sighed happily. She was safe. Mr. Sheriff Sir was here and wouldn't let the mean men get her, and she pressed closer to the comforting sound.

"You sound like a kitty," she mumbled, and sleepily rubbed her face against his chest. "My pretty kitty."

Nora giggled at the idea of her Maker as an innocent kitten chasing a ball of pink yarn in some flowery meadow. If anything, he was more like a panther; solitary, wary, and extremely dangerous once roused. The fact that he held the girl to him and purred surprised the hell out of her. Her Maker, while never cruel, had always been a very quiet, reserved, and private man and not one given towards emotional displays. He had only purred to her in the first days of her rebirth, and only when her terror at her new life had overcome her. Her brother had told her stories of how wild he had been when Eric had been a newborn, but that had been centuries before her own Turning.

Godric ignored his daughter's amusement. "Do you feel better now?" he asked Alex softly. For the first time he became aware that not only had she wrapped herself in his leather jacket, but that her sleeping garment was covered in small cartoon rabbits. He blinked, and cradled one small foot in his palm to get a closer look. He supposed such full body coverings helped keep young ones warm, but just why were the rabbits purple? And why did her feet have eyes and ears on them?

"Teddy is still scared and his tummy feels all bad," she said and weakly giggled when Mr. Sheriff Sir poked at the bunny ears on her footie pajamas. "Can…can we come with you? We don't want to stay here by ourselves. Please?" Her eyes begged up at him

He looked down at her, and ignored his son's whispered conversation with his daughter that he was 'whipped'. As there were no instruments of torture in this room, and he would be seriously displeased if there were, he was curious on what the phrase meant.

"Little firefly…" he trailed off and sighed at the expression on her face. "You must remain quiet as I attend to business. Is that understood?"

She nodded and nuzzled further into his neck. The trembling feeling in her chest felt even better, and she was starting to feel sleepy again. "I can be quiet like a bunny! Can teddy come too if he promises to be a good bear?"

His lips twitched and he easily balanced her with one arm as he reached for her toy. "Yes, he can come with us."

She gratefully cuddled her bear to her and snuggled back into Mr. Sheriff Sir. "Can we go vamp speed?" she asked gleefully. "It's like being on a ride! Vroom!"

She was still giggling when he stopped outside the office barely a second later. She looked excitedly down at teddy and then back up at Mr. Sheriff Sir. "You're gonna let us into _the office_?" she gasped. She frowned, suddenly worried. "Will Ms. Isabel let you? You wont get in trouble, will you?"

The following vampires snickered at the question and Godric's lips twitched. "I think just this once it will be acceptable, little one. Now remember, you must be good as I have much work to do." He turned to Isabel. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Isabel, and thank you for your assistance this eve."

"Your welcome Sheriff. Alex, be good and I will see you tomorrow night." she said, and was gone.

Godric sighed and looked at his children. "I take it you will be joining us in the office? Do I need your promise to behave while I catch up on my work? The sun will be up shortly, perhaps you would enjoy finding donors for the evening?" he strongly hinted.

"Father!" Nora gasped theatrically. "I wouldn't think of leaving you alone so soon after I just arrived!" She linked arms with her equally mischievous brother, and sashayed into the office.

Godric mentally rolled his eyes and went to place Alex on the couch, but she only clung harder. "Little one?" he asked.

"Can…can we sit on your lap while you work? Me and teddy will be super good! It's just that…" she looked away.

"It's just what?" he asked softly, even as he changed direction to his desk. He justified his actions because she had had a rather hard day for a young human, and ignored the fact that he felt better having her within the close sphere of his protection. He steadfastly ignored his watching progeny, and briefly wondered if they might enjoy a nice Maker's Command. For their own good, of course.

"It's just that teddy is still scared and you make him feel better! He…he wants me to hold him too, so...um…so it means you have to snuggle with the both of us?" her words almost sounded like a question at the end, but she smiled when she realized that Mr. Sheriff Sir was going to let her stay with him.

Nora laughed and gracelessly plopped down on the couch next to her brother. There was nothing, bar the rising sun or a Maker's Command, that would move her from this spot! She and Eric stared at their father from the couch, and they cheerfully ignored the irritation he sent to them.

"You are very sweet with her," Nora teased too softly for human ears to hear, and watched as the girl curled further into his jacket and turned her face into his neck. The fact that he actually let her amazed Nora to no end. "It's cute how much she idolizes you. Who would have thought, father, that you would be _snuggling _a human child to soothe her fear of the dark! And purring like a 'kitty'!"

Godric flashed a quelling glance at his impish daughter, and carefully adjusted his charge so he could reach his paperwork. Perhaps if he ignored them his children would find something else to entertain themselves with. Preferably in some other part of the house.

"So, small human," Eric asked. "How do you like living here in the nest?"

Alex raised her head from where she had buried it in Mr. Sheriff Sir's neck, and turned to look at Mr. Eric with a cross frown. "Shh! I can't talk or Ms. Isabel will come and not let Mr. Sheriff Sir keep me here! Me and teddy have to be super duper quiet!"

Eric shared an amused glance with his sister. "Yes, we wouldn't want Isabel to tell Godric he can't keep you here! Would you like to come over here and sit with us so we can talk without disturbing him?" he asked the teacup human, and smirked when he saw his father's arm tighten around the small girl, even though he kept working on his stack of papers.

"No." Alex said, and cuddled deeper into the leather jacket. She absentmindedly patted Mr. Sheriff Sir's shoulder in case he was worried she would leave him, and smiled happily at the warm feeling that wrapped around her.

Nora snorted a laugh at her brothers surprised look at the rather blunt answer. "We will not harm you, and our Maker will still be in the same room with you," she coaxed.

"Nuh uh. Me and teddy like being here. Besides," she leaned towards them slightly. "This way Mr. Sheriff Sir doesn't get scared neither!"

Nora coughed to cover her giggles but decided to change the subject, understanding that Godric's patience with her teasing would only last for so long. Before she could say something, Alex's eyes widened and she squirmed down from her father's lap and walked over to her. Her red hair was halfway out of its braid and her 'borrowed' leather jacket hung to the floor on her short frame. The sleeves covered her hands that held her bear clenched to her chest and while Nora had no mothering instincts, in fact she never wanted to even be a Maker, she had to admit that the girl was rather cute for a breather. It also helped that she was a Fated Mate and didn't smell like food.

"Yes?" she asked, aware that both her brother and father watched them. If she didn't know better she would have thought her Maker was almost _sulking _at the fact that the girl had moved away from him.

Alex nervously shifted her feet, but teddy told her to be brave. She had to be! They liked Ms. Nora, but she needed to know that Mr. Sheriff Sir was _theirs_. Isabel had told her not to worry about it, but teddy agreed that they needed to do this!

"Um," she coughed, and wished her arms were long enough that the sleeves didn't cover her thumb. She worriedly glanced down at her bear, and tried to stand up as tall as she could like her daddy taught her to do when she was having a 'serious conversation'.

"Yes?" Nora prompted, amused as the girl tried to stretch herself as tall as her meager height allowed. Eric leaned forward next to her as they watched the small Fated Mate obviously try and look intimidating and serious. Although even with her hilariously scrunched up face she only looked worried and very nervous.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir is ours!" Alex blurted out before she continued in a hurried rush. "Mine and teddy's and we're gonna marry him when we're grow'd up and…and…and you can kiss my brother if you want, but you can't kiss my Mr. Sheriff Sir because he's _ours_. But…but kissing Bennett is fine. If you want to, I mean. He's nice and plays tea party with me so maybe he would play with you too if you asked him nicely." She swallowed nervously, but looked firmly up at Ms. Nora and nodded. "So…um…that's all we wanted to say, and me and teddy are now sa-tis-feed."

She gave a firm nod and turned away, but spun back to face the flabbergasted vampire. "And me and teddy think you have pretty hair!" She ran back to Mr. Sheriff Sir and crawled back into his lap and yawned sleepily, content in that she had fiercely staked their claim and Ms. Nora now knew they meant business! Teddy growled, and agreed that she now understood that they weren't to be messed with! They were super tough and scary! She cuddled into Mr. Sheriff Sir and her eyes grew heavy.

Eric struggled to contain his laughter, but his eyes twinkled as he looked at his bemused father. "It seems you have a rather dedicated admirer in her and her bear…the bear she named after you!" he softly teased so the exhausted child wouldn't hear. "This teacup human is hilarious! How long can we keep her? She _is _house broken, right?"

Godric looked down at the soft snore that came from his lap, and shifted the girl so she lay more easily against him. "Her family should be here to pick her up within the next few days."

"Father," Nora said hesitantly. "She obviously idolizes you, she will not take leaving you well."

He shook his head. "She is very young, and only clings to me because I 'saved her' from monsters and her own imagination. She will soon be reunited with her family, and will forget her time here. Mortal memory is fallible, and time will dull her fascination and erase her memory."

"Still," Eric murmured. "It would be interesting if you were truly her mate. You deserve such an honor, Godric."

"My son, you always hold me in too much favor. In no way would the gods think me worthy of such a gift, not with my past. She is a delightful child, but she does not belong here." Godric firmly stated, and told them through the bond that the discussion was closed. "The sun will rise soon and I must put Alex to bed upstairs. This is the last I wish to hear on the subject, is that understood?"

The two progeny nodded and watched as their Maker carefully carried the sleeping girl up the stairs.

"Eric?" Nora asked, worried about the oddly depressed feelings she briefly received from their Maker.

"I know," he replied. "I will speak to him tomorrow night."

* * *

Godric sat on his bench and stared into the pond as he contemplated the recent documents he received from the king, along with his argument with Eric. Things were speeding up as the vampire community prepared for The Great Revelation in the next decade, but there were still factions who were not in favor of the change. The king desired his council on how to deal with those vampires, and his thoughts weighed heavily on his mind. Would his kind ever be able to change enough to live harmoniously with humans? Then there was the fact that the king wished to meet Alex, something he was not too keen to allow.

The night was only made better by his son's insistent desire for him to not only feed off a live donor instead of from stored blood, but to also explain why he seemed so removed as of late. Frustrated with his Maker's refusal to talk, and the huge change from the bloodthirsty vampire he used to be, Eric had finally stormed out of the office. How could he explain the new thoughts and feelings he had to his son, his child who was still so young at only a thousand years, when he did not yet understand them himself? He suspected that he was no longer thinking like a vampire…but he was also not a human. So what did that make him?

He ignored the sounds of small feet racing through the garden, and wondered if she would understand his nonverbal desire for privacy. It perplexed him how she seemed impervious to his aura when others would be a trembling mess. She seemed to have the habit of turning up when he most wanted to be left alone to his thoughts, a pastime that was becoming much more common.

Godric glanced over as the girl came a breathless halt in front of him. To his surprise, instead of immediately bombarding him with questions she wordlessly climbed up on the bench next to him, and sat. He hadn't been aware that she was actually capable of being quiet and still. Frankly she was such a ball of happy energy that the change was rather surprising.

"Little one, I have much to ponder this night. Please go back inside where Isabel can attend you." Godric said firmly, before he turned his attention inward, certain he would be obeyed.

Alex slipped her thumb into her mouth and shook her head. She knew she was being bad by not doing what she was told but her chest _ached_. It had taken her forever to get away, and she and teddy were super proud that she was able to sneak away from Mr. Eric and Ms. Isabel! Her daddy would be so proud that she was able to escape from a Viking! She briefly wondered what, exactly, a Viking was but it had to be super cool since her brothers always seemed so jealous!

With a hopeful smile, she offered her teddy to Mr. Sheriff Sir, but frowned when he only gazed down into the pond, his eyes hard and very far away. She shared a worried glance with her bear, and wondered what they should do.

A sudden movement caught her eye, and she looked up in shock as a star streaked across the night sky. She clutched her teddy and bounced in her seat. This was how they could help their Mr. Sheriff Sir feel better!

She lurched to her feet, teddy held to her chest, and would have toppled off the bench if Mr. Sheriff Sir hadn't steadied her.

"Star light, star bright.

The first star I see tonight;

I wish I may, I wish I might,

To have the wish I wish tonight!"

Her voice rang out in the quiet garden and she clenched her eyes tight and made the biggest, the most important, wish she had ever made. She could tell teddy was wishing with her, and they put everything they had into it.

When they were done, she turned to look at their vampire. "Did it work?" she demanded, as she stared into perplexed grey eyes.

"Did what work?" he asked. The belief in wishing upon falling stars had been around when he had been mortal, but he could not remember a time when he had been innocent enough to believe in its power.

"Me and teddy's wish!" she said, and leaned down until her nose was a hairsbreadth away from his.

Godric was taken aback, and distantly amused, at how intent she looked. In fact, she was almost cross-eyed as she appeared to try and stare into his eyes from barely an inch away, searching for he knew not what.

"What did you wish for?" he finally asked, and gently moved her away to sit back down on the bench. What _did _human children desire these days? A new toy? Or some sort of animal companion? From her raptures at the petting zoo, and her previous nights rabbit covered garment, she seemed to be fond of them. Perhaps she wanted jewelry or clothing, something that in his experience most females tended to enjoy.

"Me and teddy wished as hard as we could for you to not be sad anymore. For you to be happy," she said simply.

He froze. "You…wished for me to be happy? Was there not anything else you wanted? Toys, perhaps?"

"Nope." She leaned her head against his arm and idly swung her legs back and forth. She giggled as the grass tickled her bare feet and she and teddy wondered if they could get Mr. Sheriff Sir to play hide-and-seek with them. Maybe they could hide so well Ms. Isabel wouldn't be able to find them for bedtime! Teddy wondered if Ms. Isabel made Mr. Sheriff Sir go to bed super early too.

"But…why?" he asked finally.

She looked at him blankly. "Because me and teddy love you, and don't want you to be sad. We super duper love you this much!" She slid to the ground with a soft thump and spread her arms as wide as she could to show how much she loved him. "We love you even more than that but me and teddy's arms aren't big enough to show you."

Godric stared at the small girl, and to his surprise, he found himself laughing as she danced around in front of him attempting to make her arms longer. "That's enough, little one. Calm yourself," he chuckled. He was touched by the child's words, but was ill prepared to deal with her blatant hero worship as such a thing had never happened to him before. He had dealt with plenty of sycophancy over the years because of his age and political standing, but outside of his bloodline, such words had always smelled of lies. The fact that the little girl would honestly waste a wish on his happiness was extraordinarily kind.

His smile softened, she would one day make some worthy vampire a very lovely mate. The thought was oddly…unsatisfying…but he shoved the feeling away. Vampires did not let their emotions control them.

"Teddy, it worked!" she shouted excitedly, and scrambled up to sit on the bench. "See, you feel alls better now, right? You're laughing and smiling! You should smile more, it makes you even more a hottie."

Godric almost choked on his laughter at her words. "Thank you for the wish, little firefly. I do find myself feeling better. How has your evening been?"

She giggled and hugged her bear, proud that she could help Mr. Sheriff Sir. "We had pancakes today, and Mrs. Rosie cried all over us, but teddy gave her a hug and she felt better. She even made us chocolate cupcakes too and didn't make us eat the nasty vegetables at dinner! Then teddy and I played horsie, and then everyone woke up, and I had to sneak away from Mr. Eric and Ms. Isabel to come find you!" She puffed her chest out proudly. "Daddy has been teaching me how to hide and sneak away, and I taught teddy!"

His lips twitched and he shot a glance over at the large windows of his nest just in time to see Isabel, Eric, and Nora sheepishly dart away. Although his daughter gave him a rather cheeky thumbs up before she left. Impudent brat!

"So your father has been teaching you how to hide?" he asked.

"Uh huh. He said first I have to learn how to hide and run away so good nobody can catch me. When I get bigger he said he would teach me how to fight and survive. I don't want to fight, but he said I have to learn it, although if I ever misbehaved with what he taught me he would give me the worst Time Out ever!" Her eyes widened at the thought and she and teddy shivered. They would have to stand in the corner forever and ever and ever! At least thirty minutes!

Godric nodded in approval. Such training would only help her in her life, especially since she would be amongst Supernaturals but without the benefits of their strength and speed. Not to mention how violent and unpredictable humans could be. A small hand slipped into his and tugged.

"Do you want to play hide-and-seek with me and teddy?" she asked shyly.

He thought about his work, and the phone call that he needed to have with the king, but for once decided to be spontaneous. It had nothing, of course, to do with the simple hope in her brown eyes. "Yes. What are the rules?"

Alex's eyes widened in shock. "Have you never ever played before?"

"Not as such, no." he replied in amusement at her scandalized tone.

"You count to a gazillion, me and teddy hide, and then you have to find us. Don't worry," she said, and patted his arm. "It's not hard, and if you can't find us don't feel bad! Daddy says I'm getting super good at hiding!"

He laughed softly at the serious look on her face. "Alright, little one. I shall count to fifty and then see if I can find you."

He counted and listened as she scampered away through the garden. He knew where she hid even without the benefit of his eyes, but decided to humor her. He wandered slowly, looking behind trees and shrubs as he ignored the giggles from the flowers nearby. He also staunchly ignored the snickers of his children from the house as they watched him play a silly children's game. He, however, preferred to think of it as him helping train Alex in survival skills…

"Aaaaieee!" Alex shrieked and rolled out of the flowers. "Get it off me! Get it off me!" she shouted and ran around in circles, teddy swinging by a single paw.

Godric vamp sped over and grabbed her. "What's wrong?" he demanded.

"A huge, hairy spider! It's got mean red eyes and is drooling and is _huge_! It's on my arm! Get it off it wants to eat me!"

He glanced down and saw a small garden spider no bigger than a pencil eraser crawling on her arm. He lightly brushed it away. "It's alright, Alex. It's gone now."

She nervously looked down at her arm and smiled when she saw that the nasty spider was gone. She bounced on her toes and giggled. "Thank you! I bet you couldn't find us before the mean spider tried to bite us! We hid super good in the flowers!" She smiled and slipped her hand into his. "Don't feel bad that you lost! I still think you're my favoritist vampire!" She briefly looked uncomfortable and looked around nervously. "Don't tell my daddy I said that though! I don't want to hurt his feelings and make him cry!"

Godric's lips quirked in a smile at the child's interpretation of events and the belief that her words would make her ancient vampire father cry. "Ah, yes. You did indeed do a wonderful job of hiding, little one." He watched with interest as she wandered back to the flowers.

"How come these are open at night? I thought flowers went to bed when the sun went away?" She stuck her nose in one and breathed deeply. "It smells good!" she said, surprised. "And it's so pretty! Plurple is my favorite color."

"The word is 'purple', Alex. These particular plants are called moonflowers, as they bloom primarily at night. The perfect flower for a vampire's garden." He watched as she gently touched one of the petals, and reached over and snapped a single open bud off the plant and tucked it behind her ear. "There, a gift to remember the night you escaped both a fierce warrior Viking, and won at a game of hide-and-seek with a vampire Sheriff."

"Father," Nora said and strolled into the garden. She grinned at the sight of her Maker on his knees next to Alex who looked at him as if he had hung the moon. The purple flower in her hair made her internally laugh knowing her father had no idea that with this one simple action the little girl's crush increase ten-fold! Seriously, her maker was extraordinarily wise, but he really was occasionally rather naïve in the most amusing of ways!

"Yes, child?" Godric asked.

"The king is on the phone for you and says it is urgent."

He sighed, and rose to his feet. "I am sorry, Alex, but I must return to work. Nora, please see that she is taken care of in the nest until Isabel comes for her."

Nora winked at Alex. "Oh, I'm sure us girls will find something fun to do while we wait. Alex, how do you feel about some new nail polish while I tell you exciting stories about your Mr. Sheriff Sir and my bone-headed brother Eric?"

Alex's eyes widened and she scampered quickly over to Ms. Nora. "Are there any stories where Mr. Sheriff Sir rides a white horse? Or fights monsters? Did I tell you about the time he fought off _nine hundred_ monsters? He was so awesome! Better than even Batman! Can teddy get nail polish? He likes to feel pretty too!"

Godric grimaced and moved quickly towards the nest. Obviously he would need to finish the call with the king as quickly as possible. Otherwise his mischievous daughter would have Alex believing he was so powerful, or perhaps even old enough given the fact that the girl thought he had ridden dinosaurs, to have even hung the moon in the night sky!

He picked up the phone. "Greetings, my king. How may I help you?"

"Sheriff, so good of you to have finally answered the phone. I have decided to see the Fated Mate tomorrow night. Given her age, I will come to your nest so as to not unduly upset the child, and we will be there two hours after midnight."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews! In the past I've tried to respond to them all, but unless it's a direct question I now have to chose on what to spend my time doing, and I figure everyone would rather prefer an update! I _do_ appreciate them though, so thank you very much! **

**The usual disclaimer goes here. **

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Godric quietly walked downtown Dallas, lost in his thoughts even as he ignored the humans who were doing what he had heard termed a 'bar crawl'. The libations that he could already smell from some of them made his lips curl in disgust. Not only did it pollute the blood, but the reek of it as it seeped through human pores and mixed with the hot Texas humidity was…unpleasant.

Sometimes he really cursed his heightened senses, especially as the diet of humans had changed.

He ignored the catcalls towards him from drunken females, and some males, lost in his thoughts. It was rare for him to leave the nest so early in the evening, but he needed to clear his head before the king arrived.

He felt…off kilter. Not bad, but something was different and he could not put his finger on what. Normally he would reflect and meditate upon the subtle shift he sensed within himself, but Alex seemed to have developed a sixth sense for when he was, as Isabel called it, 'brooding' by the pond.

His lips curled in a slight smile as he thought of his energetic house guest and all the 'adventures' she seemed to stumble across. He enjoyed having her live in his nest, and Isabel had done a wonderful job taking care of her. He passed a bookseller and paused as he saw one of the posters in the window and almost laughed out loud as he studied the ridiculous picture. Spontaneously he entered the building and within a very short time was on his way back to his nest, bag in hand. It had been years since he had bought anyone a gift, and he hoped that she liked it.

* * *

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! You're back! We missed you!"

Godric looked up and caught the small girl as she slid across the marble entryway. "Little one, how many times must we remind you to walk and not run?"

She beamed up at him and he saw that Isabel had outdone herself with the child's appearance. She was the very picture of a proper young lady with her red hair pulled up and curled, clad in a pretty dark purple dress trimmed in lace. Her white stockings and black shoes only completed the look of a proper little lady.

Frankly he didn't give the outfit more than half-an-hour before it fell victim to one of Alex's shenanigans.

"I like going fast, and it's so much more fun to run! Me and teddy missed you! Did you fight any monsters? Was there a dragon? Did you find anybody bad that you had to put in Time Out?"

He smiled when she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the den. "C'mon Mr. Sheriff Sir! Mr. Eric and Ms. Nora are in the living room, and we're watching a movie that's super good!"

Godric allowed her to tug him after her and almost laughed when he saw the pained look on his son's face. "What film are you watching?"

"'The Labyrinth'! It's about a Goblin King and a girl who wishes away her brother and then has to go into a maze to the castle to find him. It's so cool!" she gushed.

She tugged his hand and he obligingly knelt next to her as she whispered into his ear. "Don't tell teddy, but I tried to wish him away so that I could go play with the goblins but nothing happened. Do you think the Goblin King is scared of him? Teddy can be super tough! That's why I named him after you!"

He ignored Eric's muffled snickers and his eyes were drawn to the television where a man in makeup, presumably this so-called 'Goblin King', was singing and dancing around in overly tight breeches. His eyes narrowed as the peacock frolicked about rather inappropriately with what appeared to be puppets. Surely this could not be suitable for someone of Alex's age and imagination? Besides, before goblins had been hunted to extinction around 1430 AD they had looked nothing like they were depicted in the film. Nor were the cunning beasts anywhere near as stupidly harmless as these ones appeared to be.

"Isn't Jareth awesome? He can do magic!" Alex gushed, her eyes glued to the television screen.

Godric firmly ignored his surprising bolt of jealousy, which made him feel rather ridiculous especially since his daughter's knowing smirk made him aware of the fact that his bonds to his children were open. He could practically see the teasing words forming on her lips, and quickly decided on a distraction.

"Little one, I have something for you." He almost smiled when her head whipped around to face him, and he motioned for his son to turn off the offending tripe masquerading as film. It was hardly educational anyway he told himself, and easily overlooked his son's knowing smirk.

Alex's eyes were wide and she clutched her bear to her chest. "You bought me a present? Just for me?"

He smiled and handed her the small bag. "Yes, I saw a poster of it on my walk through the city and thought you would enjoy it."

"You seem surprised, Alex. Does your family not buy you gifts?" Nora asked, curious at the girl's rather extreme surprise. Her adopted vampire family was wealthy, and she had assumed that the girl had been showered with gifts as was common for most children in the current era.

Alex shook her head so hard her curls bounced. "Only on my birthday. Oh! And Christmas, even though my brothers had to convince daddy about that. He says it's not a real holiday so my brothers can only give me one gift each. Daddy says he doesn't want me to grow up to be a 'spoiled B-T-I-C-H'." She pouted. "Daddy wouldn't tell me what that spelled, only that it was a no-no word and not for 'impr-ess-ion-able children'."

Godric ignored his sputtering progeny, and handed her the bag. "Yes, well, your father is very wise. I find that today's youth are given everything while working for nothing. As for this particular gift, how about we just say it is for your last birthday.

Alex giggled, and shyly took the bag. Teddy was super curious and wanted her to open it fast so he could see too! She gasped, and excitedly yanked the book out of the bag. "Wow! Super wow! Teddy! Look what Mr. Sheriff Sir bought us! Look!" She danced around in place and showed her book to her bear. "Mr. Eric! Ms. Nora! Look, look, look!"

She raced to them and thrust her new book in their faces. Nora bit her lip to keep from laughing at the cartoon cover, and the overly pleased emotions she could feel from her father.

"Look Mr. Eric it's a vampire bunny! And he's drinking from yucky vegetables!" she said and ran back to her still kneeling vampire. She flung her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much! What does the title say? Will you read it to us tonight when you tuck me and teddy in? Can you read it using different voices like Josiah does?"

Godric smiled and gently patted her back. "The story is called 'Bunnicula' and I will read it to you later, but for now you must be a good girl while we deal with business. Later tonight there is an important vampire who wants to meet you, so you must be on your best behavior."

She sulked but reluctantly nodded. "If I'm super good can we go watch the fireflies tonight by our pond?"

His lips twitched, amused that apparently his pond was now 'our pond'. "Yes, little one, but only if you behave and stay out of trouble.

* * *

Godric watched his king glance around his office. It was the first time he had ever been there, and it was obvious he was curious about the artifacts and books on the shelves that were antiques from around the world. Part of him still found it amusing that a basic item that he had bought, or stolen, from a marketplace hundreds of years ago was now considered a priceless artifact.

"So how, exactly, did you come into possession of a Fated Mate?" King Niccolo finally asked as he studied the pink glitter all over the carpet. He never would have expected his boring Sheriff to be the type for glitter, but perhaps old age was making him senile? For the gods's sake the ancient wore the equivalent of pajamas to meet with his _king_!

Godric really wished to roll his eyes, but unless he felt the sudden need to become even more bogged down in senseless paperwork he had to tolerate the five century old vampire cliché. Seriously, even _he _knew that humans would look twice at a man who dressed in a tuxedo and top hat. He could feel his children's distaste within their bonds and sent them a warning. Thankfully Isabel who stood to his left was more even tempered!

"I am not in 'possession' of her, I am her temporary guardian while her family is dealing with another issue. I owed her father, a vampire of approximately fifteen hundred years, a favor and this is my repayment. I will admit my nest, particularly my own children, have grown rather fond of the child."

Godric's voice was pleasant, but the warning was clear to the others in the room. The girl was guarded by vampires old enough to rip the king apart and it would be best, for the king's continued health and well-being, for him to tread carefully. Very carefully.

King Niccolo nodded that the message had been received and leaned back. "Do not be alarmed, Sheriff. I am merely interested in making sure the child is safe in this environment. She is precious to our kind, and I find it worrying that she was abducted from this very nest. Will she be joining us soon? How old is she?"

Godric opened his mouth to respond, but the scampering footsteps that bounded down the hallway gave the king his answer.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir! Mr. Sheriff Sir!"

The expected thump of a small body hitting the heavy office door made Godric almost smile, even as he ignored his children's amusement, and the fact that the king and his guard's also seemed to be hiding smiles.

The door finally opened and instead of the clean and well-dressed little lady that Isabel had painstakingly prepared for the important meeting, a rather muddy and mischievous imp appeared in her place.

Godric's lips twitched as he looked the child over. Her once white stockings, and most of her dress and part of her face were covered in thick mud that smelled like it came from his pond. Her hair that had been so charmingly curled and pinned was now hanging down in wet strands and dripping dirty water onto his clean, if still sparkly, carpet.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir!" Alex squealed and skipped over to him leaving a trail of mud behind her. She giggled and held out a wiggling creature to him while her bear, who was still surprisingly free of mud, was held by one stuffed leg under her other arm. "Did you know you have _froggies _in your pond? Me and teddy caught one and it's a girl and we named her Ms. Hoppy! She's gonna be Mr. Sheriff Sir's girlfriend!"

He could practically feel his son barely manage to choke back laughter, and refused to look to see his daughter's response. It was unnecessary as the overwhelming glee in their bonds told him how they were taking the current conversation. The king, however, had no problem showing his amusement at his subordinates expense.

"You brought a frog to be Godric's girlfriend?" he asked merrily.

The girl turned and looked at him blankly. "No, Ms. Hoppy is my bear's girlfriend. See, we even put lipstick on her so that she would look all pretty!"

The eyes of all the vampires flashed back to the desperately squirming amphibian, and saw that it did indeed have red smeared across it's mouth.

"Where did you find lipstick?" Eric asked, and she smiled angelically up at him.

"Ms. Nora's purse," Alex promptly answered, and Godric felt his daughter's glee turn to horror.

"You used my Chanel lipstick on a _frog_?" Nora demanded.

Alex smiled and nodded. "Ms. Hoppy wanted to look as hottie as you!"

The king snorted and leaned back, delighted with the entire situation. Never would he have thought his very orderly, and staid, Sheriff would have his home upended by such a Fated Mate! He magnanimously decided then and there to leave the child with his Sheriff. Besides, the floors of his nest were made of rather expensive Italian tiles from the 14th century and he did not want mud tracked in his home! Or worse, pink glitter. He remembered the seventies and how the stuff got _everywhere_.

Godric kept his face expressionless, perfectly aware of his king's rather obvious thoughts, even as he internally smirked that he had been right on the fate of Alex's outfit. He ignored his daughter's emotions that were caught between indignation that her purse had been gone through, and flattery that Alex thought she was pretty enough to emulate.

Even if it was for a _male_ frog.

Isabel finally found her voice. "Alexandra, you know better than to use things that are not yours! How did you manage to get so dirty in the ten minutes I left you with the maid?"

Alex froze and looked up at Ms. Isabel. "Um…Ms. Laura got called to help with something in the den and then teddy saw the moonflowers in the garden and wanted to sniff them, and then we saw the pond and the froggies and…and…I'm not that dirty…" her voice trailed off and she patted her mangled dress and the vampires watched as a glob of mud fell to the floor with a squelch. "Oops."

She looked around and when she saw that everyone was staring at her, including the new vampire with the weird hat, and she nervously moved closer to her Mr. Sheriff Sir. She relaxed when she felt the warm blanket feeling wrap around her, and she went to crawl up onto his lap."

"Alexandra, freeze! Do not move and get more of the Sheriff's carpet, or the Sheriff himself, dirty!" Isabel commanded. "How did you manage to do such damage to your appearance in only ten minutes?"

The little girl froze as her shoulders hunched forward, and her eyes filled with tears as she realized that she was in big trouble. She sniffled and looked behind her, shocked at the muddy footprints across the pretty carpet. She turned and looked with sad eyes up at her vampire.

"I'm sorry I gots your floor dirty," she whispered, and her eyes fell to the ground. "Me and teddy just wanted to show you Ms. Hoppy. We didn't mean to fall into the mud."

Godric ignored the other vampires and put two fingers under her chin to lift her desolate gaze from her ruined shoes. "It is only dirt, little one. However, I think your new friend wants to return to her home. I'm sure she misses her family, and you do not want her to be sad, do you? You also owe an apology to Nora."

Alex's eyes widened. "I didn't think she would have a mommy and daddy to miss her! Do you think they're mad at me too?" She looked up at Nora and swallowed. "I'm sorry I used your pretty lipstick. Can…can you show me how to put it on later? I wasn't very good at it on Ms. Hoppy but I want to look as hottie as you!"

Godric carefully took the croaking frog from the girl's hands and passed the animal to a reluctant Viking. "Eric will return her to her habitat and I am sure it will be fine, little one. If you are a good girl perhaps Nora will play with you later. Isabel," his quiet voice held a soft warning for his underling to calm herself. "Please take Alex upstairs to get cleaned up and then return with her here."

Isabel bowed, although she smiled as the office door closed and she heard the king ask about 'his sheriff's new job title of Mr. Sheriff Sir'. The fact that King Niccolo had a sense of humor surprised her.

Perhaps he wasn't such an unmitigated bastard after all.

* * *

Godric smiled at the overalls Isabel had dressed the now clean child in. "Alex, I would like to introduce you to King Niccolo of Texas."

Alex stared up at the king, and her eyes grew wide as she clutched her bear to her chest. She edged towards Godric, and only relaxed when she felt her back hit his leg and she wrapped her arm around his knee. Teddy growled at the strange vampire, and she rubbed his ears.

"Hi," she finally muttered and her thumb slipped into her mouth. Something about this vampire made her uncomfortable and she didn't like it. Plus, he looked really weird.

Godric looked down curiously at the clearly uncomfortable child as it was such a drastic change from her happy exuberance earlier. Her worry pulled at him, and he gently rested a hand on her hair.

King Niccolo frowned, as the Fated Mate clearly preferred his Sheriff to himself. Granted, she was just a child and perhaps she was just shy. He began to rethink his previously magnanimous plan to allow her to stay with the ancient. Obviously she needed exposure to a greater number of vampires if she preferred the boring and emotionless Gaul over him!

"So, Alex was it? How do you feel about coming to live in my nest?" he asked, and smiled.

Alex's eyes widened and she hid further behind Mr. Sheriff Sir. "N-no thank you. Me and teddy like it here."

King Niccolo rolled his eyes, and reminded himself that he had just as good a chance as any other vampire to be this girl's future mate and have the power of her blood at his disposal. Although he really did dislike red heads, but he supposed he could always have her dye her hair. "Yes, well, I'm sure you and your…bear…will enjoy my nest. Not many human girls get to say that they have lived with a king!"

Alex trembled and looked tearfully up at Mr. Sheriff Sir. "Y-you don't want me and teddy anymore?"

Godric ran a hand soothingly over her hair, even as he stared coldly at his foolish king. "The king is mistaken, little one, and you will not be going anywhere. Now I want you to go with Eric into the kitchen and have a snack while the king and I discuss things."

Suddenly Godric stilled, and he and Eric looked towards the office door as their more powerful senses heard who had just arrived at the nest.

A minute later Stan opened the office door. "Sheriff, you have visitors."

Godric nodded impassively. "Show them in as I think they would also be rather interested in the current topic of conversation."

"Godric," the king huffed. "I wouldn't think any guests to your nest would have a say in Alice's-"

He was rather rudely interrupted by a deep voice at the door. "My daughter's name, King Niccolo, is _Alex_ and since I am here to collect her I daresay your offer will no longer be needed."

"Daddy!" Alex squealed and raced towards her family. "Gabriel! Josiah! Bennett! You're back! I missed you! So did my teddy, even though he hasn't met you yet!"

Godric watched as his old friend reached down and scooped the giggling child up in his arms, and was surprised by the bolt of pain that shot through his chest at the actions. He shook the senseless emotions off and walked over to the four vampires.

"Theron of Greece, it has been a long time," he greeted.

* * *

The king had finally left, and Theron smiled at Godric. He had been turned older, probably sometime in his late-thirties and his blue eyes gleamed with amusement.. "I apologize for the delay in our return, and the trouble it has brought to you, old friend. Not that such a peacock would be much trouble but alas I know you have no desire to rule anything larger than your Area."

"Was your problem resolved?" Godric asked softly as to not alert Alex who was currently talking a mile-a-minute to her brothers. He winced when he heard her mention something about 'bimbo girls', and determinedly turned his attention back to Theron.

"Alas, while we have killed most of those who tracked us, several escaped before we could question them. Until we can discover the reason behind their actions, my bloodline and I are going to leave the country. Alex is too young to survive another attack like before, plus I wish her to experience different cultures."

Isabel frowned and glanced at her, even more than usual, blank faced Sheriff. "Could you not stay a few days to help Alex get used to the idea of leaving us? She has grown very attached in such a short time…" her voice trailed off when the Greek vampire shook his head.

"I am sorry my dear, but our plane is waiting, and we must leave shortly as we do not wish to travel in coffins considering Alex's youth. Unfortunately we will also need to cut all ties for the next several years until she is less vulnerable, or until we discover just who our enemies are. I do not wish them to find us using the human technology of tracking phone calls." He smiled once again at the Sheriff. "Thank you again, my friend, for watching over my daughter. She is much loved by my bloodline."

Godric only nodded, his eyes shuttered and remote, so it was Isabel who answered. "She is special to us as well."

* * *

Alex suddenly stopped telling her brothers about Ms. Hoppy, and turned to look at Mr. Sheriff Sir. Her brow furrowed and she ignored her brother's questions. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong and she held teddy closer to her chest.

Her daddy noticed her gaze, gestured her over and picked her up. "Alex, it is time to go. Say thank you to Godric and his nest for taking care of you."

Pain and panic set in and she almost strangled teddy her grip on his was so tight. He didn't want to leave either!

"No, no, no, no!" Alex shouted and struggled in her daddy's arms as he left the office and walked towards the front door. She was vaguely aware of the vampires in the den going angrily silent as they walked past the room, and saw Isabel and Stan quickly move towards them.

"Daddy, can't we stay and live with Mr. Sheriff Sir? I don't wanna leave! I want to stay here, and feed the ducks, and play hide-and-seek with Mr. Sheriff Sir, and draw him pictures, and…and…"

"Alex!" her daddy warned. "Calm yourself, you are not some wild animal! You must control your emotions little one, or your scent will pull every vampire in a two mile radius."

Alex stopped flailing, but her body shook with anguished sobs. Her chest felt all fluttery and painful, and her heart hurt. She didn't care about any silly old vampire in the nest, she wanted _her _vampire! She whimpered and clutched harder at her teddy, but her sobs only increased when she saw Mr. Sheriff Sir abruptly turn away and go back inside without even saying goodbye. She had thought she felt something brush over her cheek, but he had moved so very fast and now he was _gone_.

"Mr. Sheriff Sir!" she shouted, and it felt like her heart cracked. He had left her without saying goodbye! Without giving her or teddy a goodbye hug! Had they been so bad that he didn't like them anymore? He had promised that they would watch the fireflies out by their pond, and he would read to her!

She looked up when Mr. Eric and Ms. Nora came up to her and she looked at them as tears ran down her face. "He left," she whispered, and curled further into her daddy. She loved her daddy, but she wanted to hug Mr. Sheriff Sir and have him tell her everything would be okay, and for him to wrap the warm blanket feeling around her again.

"Little one…" Nora trailed off, unsure of what to say to ease the heartbreak in the little girl's eyes. She had warned her Maker that the child would not understand having to leave him. It had been obvious to everyone except Godric that the girl adored him.

She shot a worried glance at her brother, and then reached forward and gave Alex a hug. "It will be okay Alex. I promise," she said finally. The girl's scent was rife with pain, and she wanted to shake her Maker for his thoughtless actions towards her.

Alex sniffled and looked down at her bear and her lips trembled even more. Mr. Sheriff Sir, and probably Ms. Isabel and Mr. Stan too, were mad at her and didn't like her anymore. That had to be why Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't say goodbye to her! The fact that Mr. Sheriff Sir didn't like them made her chest feel painful and weird.

"He's mad at me and teddy," she mumbled and looked up at Mr. Eric. "We were super bad and he's mad at us."

Eric shifted, uncomfortable with the devastated look in the Fated Mate's eyes. He wanted to soothe the teacup human, and he awkwardly patted her on the head. "He's not mad at you, small human. He's just…busy." He growled when his sister elbowed him in the ribs.

"Not the best thing to say!" Nora snarled to low for the despondent girl to hear. "Alex he isn't mad at you, he just…" she paused and considered what lie she could tell the girl that she would believe. God, those heartbroken eyes of hers were horrible! She thought she had gotten rid of such soft emotions when she Turned!

"He had to go to the bathroom!" she blurted out, and winced at the incredulous looks the other vampires sent her.

Alex sniffled and wiped at her eyes. She smiled hopefully up at Ms. Nora. "He did? S-so he's gonna come back and give us a hug before we have to leave? Will he be a lot longer?"

She looked worriedly down at her very upset bear. Teddy really wanted a hug too, and they both stared intently at the door to the nest. Her eyes brightened with hope when it opened, and teddy told her that they _knew _Mr. Sheriff Sir wouldn't leave them without saying goodbye!

Eric felt pity as the girl's hopeful face shattered when it was only Isabel who appeared with a packed suitcase. Even the hug that the Spanish vampire gave the small human was not enough to change the look on Alex's face. In Freya's name the girl's pained scent was enough to drive even a thousand-year-old vampire protective instincts crazy, so it was a good thing that Isabel and Stan had cornered the younger vampires in the den before they could do something foolish.

Her daddy sighed, and Alex looked up at him. "Sweetheart we have to leave." He gently held her to him and ran a hand over her hair. He was surprised at how deeply Alex was attached to the Gaul. Frankly he was surprised as his friend was not one, in recent centuries, to become attached to anyone or anything. Emotive and emotionally open Godric was not, and the power he gave off without even trying was enough to keep most everyone away.

"But…but Mr. Sheriff Sir is gonna come back! If we leave first he'll think we didn't want to say goodbye to him!" Alex said. "Teddy wants to hug him too!"

One of her brothers growled, but not low enough to escape human ears. "Maker, we have to meet the plane soon if we hope to get to our destination before the rising sun. Obviously the Sheriff has other things to do, and this is only distressing Alex."

Alex's head whipped around and she looked up at Ms. Nora in betrayal. "Ms. Nora, you fibbed?" Her eyes filled with tears. "Mr. Sheriff Sir!" she shouted and again struggled in her daddy's arms.

Eric sighed. He _knew_ his Maker heard her cries, as their muffled bond seemed to throb before it closed down entirely. However, Eric had felt the bolt of pain that his ancient father experienced at the girl's heartbroken tone. His eyes met Theron's and he shook his head at the unspoken question.

The ancient's eyes were sad as he looked at his sobbing daughter. "Alex we must go so say goodbye to Nora and Eric."

Alex sniffled and looked up at Ms. Nora and Mr. Eric. "B-bye Ms. Nora and Mr. Eric. W-will you tell Mr. Sheriff Sir I'm sorry I was bad?"

Nora, to her embarrassment, felt her own eyes well with tears. "Be strong, little Alex. I am sure our paths will cross again."

Alex looked down at her bear and gently ran her fingers over his ears. She could tell teddy wanted to cry, but he agreed that while she had her daddy and brothers to look after her, Mr. Sheriff Sir was alone. With a wobbly chin she looked back up at Ms. Nora.

"Will you give teddy to Mr. Sheriff Sir for me?"

Nora carefully took the bear and looked down at the trembling child. "Are you sure Alex?"

"Yeah. Teddy says I have daddy and my brothers and Mr. Sheriff Sir needs him. Maybe…maybe Mr. Sheriff Sir is only mad at me and wont be angry with teddy? Will he let teddy hug him and take care of him?" she asked hopefully. "Teddy will make sure Mr. Sheriff Sir doesn't get sad!"

Nora sighed. "He's not mad at you Alex, but I will give him your bear and say goodbye for you."

She and her brother watched as the quietly crying girl was placed into the car seat and strapped in. As they drove away Nora turned and angrily raced towards her Maker's office. She shoved the door open, stepped in, and froze in surprise. Her Maker stood at his desk, a piece of paper almost reverently held in his hands as a single finger stroked over the childish drawing. Her anger drained away when she realized he was not indifferent to Alex's pain.

"Godric," her voice soft as she walked to her Maker. She heard her brother shut the office door, but her attention was firmly on her father. Their bond was closed and she wished, not for the first time, that she could read the emotions behind his impassive mask.

She turned when her brother placed his hand on her back and gently shook his head, his eyes fixed upon their father. Instead, she quietly walked over and placed the silly stuffed bear on the desk. "She wanted you to have him," she said simply, and she and her brother turned to leave Godric to his thoughts.

At the office door she glanced back and saw him pick up the small toy and place it, and the picture, in a bottom desk drawer.

* * *

She curled up in the car seat, even as the tears continued to slip down her cheeks. She missed him already, her Mr. Sheriff Sir, and now she didn't even have teddy to cuddle. She was so happy to see her daddy and brothers, but…..

The car quickly drove through the suburbs and suddenly she cried out and began to cry harder. The warm blanket feeling was now totally gone, and it felt like her chest had a big hole in it. She wanted her Mr. Sheriff Sir so bad!

"It will be okay, Alex." her daddy soothed. "Try and get some sleep little one. Change is hard, but in order to grow we must all go through it. I doubt this will be the last time you will cross paths with the Gaul and his nest."

She sniffled, convinced that Mr. Sheriff Sir, and probably Ms. Isabel and Mr. Stan, never wanted to see her ever ever again! Exhausted, she closed her eyes and began to fall asleep. She would give anything to be with Mr. Sheriff Sir at their pond as he read to her from her "Bunnicula" book.

"Theron," she heard her brother ask as if he were far away. "Is this amount of separation anxiety normal in human children?"

With a last sniffle, she fell asleep.

* * *

She opened her eyes and found herself once again in the dark forest. The trees still scared her, but she could feel the pull in her chest that guided her to _her _tree. She needed her tree, needed the painful agony in her chest to go away. She looked down and saw that she still had her trees acorn clutched in her hand. She raised it closer to her face and saw that small roots had grown out of it and were delicately wrapped around her fingers and wrist.

She looked up at the dark trees around her and shuddered. Her tree was so pretty and wonderful and she began to run where the feeling in her chest pulled her. The twisted trees on the path tried to grab at her as she dashed under their limbs and she stuck her tongue out at them even though she knew it wasn't very nice. She didn't want _them_, she wanted _her _tree!

The pain in her chest guided her and she cheered as she finally broke through the tree line and stopped, breathing hard with her toes just touching the edge of the shadow the big oak cast upon the ground. She saw that still no other trees dared to move close to it and her lip trembled when her tree seemed even sadder and more lonely than it did before.

"My tree! I missed you!" she shouted, and dashed forward and into the shadows of it's mighty limbs. Her poor tree looked so sad and lonely and upset and she ran up and threw her arms around it. She closed her eyes and breathed in it's scent and shuddered in relief. Finally the pain, the horrible aching pain and need and sorrow in her chest went away and she felt…whole.

"My tree. Mine." she whispered and nuzzled against its cold bark. A sudden flash of light made her eyes pop open, and she looked up and saw fireflies dancing in the air. A rustling noise made her look down, and she saw that the hollow at her tree's base was still there and was still the perfect size for her. Gratefully she curled up in it and giggled when the roots shifted to make her more comfortable.

"I was so sad, but I feel better now." she whispered, even as tears slipped down her cheeks only to be thirstily soaked up by the ground underneath her. The tree above her almost seemed to shiver, and she watched in awe as delicate vines began to grow and wrap around its base. They looked so small and frail when compared to her tree, but she grinned when buds appeared and a plurple…no, when a single _purple _moonflower bloomed.

"My favorite flower," she said in awe. "Mr. Sheriff Sir gave one to me when he still liked me..." she whispered sadly, and more tears fell to the ground. Distant warmth suddenly wrapped around her like a blanket and she gratefully snuggled closer to the roots. She was still so small in comparison to the tree so far above her, and she wondered if it knew she was there. If it loved her like she loved it, and had missed her while she was gone.

She began to talk to it, telling it of her adventures and her Mr. Sheriff Sir and how much her heart hurt even though she was glad to have her daddy and brothers back. How she missed her teddy, but was happy that he would take care of her Mr. Sheriff Sir while she was gone. The words spilled out of her, and she relaxed back into her hollow, sleepy and content. She just knew that her tree listened to her and wanted her to feel better!

"What are you doing back here?!" the shout made her jump, and she cringed away from the winged figure that appeared next to her. "Damn it child! You can't be here! I barely was able to get you away last time before they found out!"

"Go away! I don't wanna go! This is my tree! Mine! He's lonely and needs me and I don't wanna go!" she shouted and pushed further back into the roots that began to restlessly shift around her.

He grabbed at her, but froze when he saw the fireflies and the single, open moonflower. "These…these were not here last time. How did…how? This is impossible. Dear god above, this is impossible. You are only a child!" He looked down at her and saw the tear tracks on her face. "Did you cry?" he demanded and reached down and grabbed at her arms.

"Let me go! Daddy says I can't talk to strangers!" she said and tried to pull away.

"Child, answer me this. Did. You. Cry?"

She pouted and glared. "I'm a big girl! Big girls don't cry!"

He was incredulous. "Are you lying to me?" Seriously, the child still had tear tracks on her face and she thought she could lie? To him?!

She shook her head, but then guiltily nodded.

His lips quirked as he looked down at his charge. For the first time he noticed her fear and her pain, and his eyes softened as he knelt next to her. Something was different with her, and he wondered what he had missed while busy keeping the others from discovering this secret.

"Little one, I am sorry I yelled at you. Please do not fear me, as I am here to protect and guard you until you are of age."

"You want to take me from my tree," she stubbornly said. "You're mean! Even if you do have pretty wings!"

The man sighed and grabbed the bridge of his nose when he saw the roots shifting around the girl. "I am not trying to be cruel, but you cannot be with this tree. It is not time for you to be here and, frankly, I still find it impossible that you _are _here. The fact that _this _one is found worthy…" He sneered, but cringed as the air grew subtly darker. He could not remain much longer without being discovered by either his brethren or _him_.

"Please," she whimpered and her small fingers curled protectively around the acorn hidden in her hand. "I don't want to go."

"Child, you must. If others should find you here, at the base of this particular tree and see what you have started at such a young age you will be…" his voice trailed off and he looked down into suddenly fierce brown eyes.

"Will they hurt my tree?" she demanded. She stood, folded her arms across her chest and scowled. "I wont let them, and I'm super duper tough! No one can hurt my tree!"

He snorted at the very idea of his kind actually being able to hurt the one whose shadow he, rather uncomfortably, stood under. Well, he amended as he eyed the fragile child, many would view his mortal charge as the perfect vehicle for retribution and revenge for little could harm him more than the loss of his future mate.

"Such a stubborn child," he murmured. "Yet I fear you will need it, for the road you walk will not be an easy one."

Suddenly his head snapped to the right and his eyes narrowed as something flickered in the distance. Quickly he bent and picked her up, skillfully dodging the fireflies that started to dive bomb him.

"You must forget," he murmured, and raced from under the Oak's shadow. "This is nothing but a barely remembered dream. Forget," he ordered, and the hand he held to her forehead briefly glowed.

"No." she whispered, even as her eyes slipped closed.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads and/or reviews my story! Hopefully you like this new installment where you meet a somewhat older Alex, and the plot thickens! Thank you to both Midnat and Melusine10 for listening to my crazy plot ideas and helping me streamline my thoughts. Ya'll rock! As always, the usual non-ownership disclaimer, and on to Chapter 8!**

* * *

Chapter 8

**_Five years later_**

Alex jerked awake with a cry and curled around her side. Something hurt inside her, something hurt so bad that it felt like she had been stabbed with a hot poker.

"George?" she called out to her family's Dayman, before she remembered he would not join them until that night. Her dad had finally deemed her old enough to keep herself out of trouble. Or, in his words, 'To not blow anything up that couldn't later be glamoured away' for the few hours she would normally be awake before they rose.

She glanced at the clock next to her bed and groaned. It was only 9am, and her family would be in their day sleep in locked rooms. She gasped and curled up again, the pain so bad that she began to sweat despite the cool air.

She finally managed to crawl out of bed and stagger into the sunlit living room before another wave of agony brought her to her knees. She wiped at her eyes and really wished that an adult was there to help her. She couldn't call for help because humans would want to know about her family, and she didn't trust them in the nest anyway. What would happen if somehow they managed, no matter how small the possibility, of getting into the locked light-tight rooms? No. She wasn't a child anymore! She would figure something out…

She saw her dad's phone on the table, and thanked whatever deity was listening that he once again forgot to take it into his room. The pain was so bad that she wanted to throw up, but she managed to grab the phone with a shaking hand. Nausea welled and she bent over and was sick all over the floor.

"Dad!" she choked out, but knew that even if he woke he would not be able to get to her in the sunlight filled room. "You can do this, Alex. You're not a little kid anymore!" she muttered to herself. With trembling fingers, she called George, and finally panicked when it went straight to voicemail. She was alone, she felt like she was dying, and she didn't know what to do! She needed help! She wanted…she wanted…

She stifled a sob at the memory of soft grey eyes, a calm voice, and a gentle purr that kept the monsters away. Even though it had been practically _forever_,she still missed him, and it still hurt that he hadn't care about her in return. That he hadn't contacted her ever since she had left the nest. Her dad had said it was for her safety, but she stubbornly thought that something could have been done if he had actually wanted to talk to her. She would have been happy with even a postcard…

She almost jackknifed forward as the pain bloomed hotter than ever, and her fingers tightened on the phone. Her breathing was loud and ragged in the quiet room, but the beep caught her attention. The phone was still open to the Contacts List. What were the chances that her dad would have his number? With her heart in her throat, she scrolled down the alphabet.

_Godric._

The name flashed on the screen and she hesitated. Would he help her? Another spasm made her cry out, but she tried to remember the time difference between Texas and Italy, and she gnawed on her lip when she realized that he would still be awake. But…should she call him? Would he even remember her, or want to help her if he did? Her mind was unsure, but her heart said 'yes'.

The pain that seemed to grow each moment made her decision, and she desperately hit the call button and listened as the phone began to ring.

"Please…" she whispered, and waited to see if anyone would pick up.

_Please…please don't hate me._

* * *

Isabel was just finishing up her report to the Sheriff, when she paused.

"Yes, Isabel?" Godric asked quietly, his eyes never leaving his paperwork.

"Sheriff…Godric. I'm worried about you. You seem more withdrawn than usual. Please, is there nothing I can do to help you?" she asked as she stared worriedly at his paler than normal face. In truth, he had grown steadily more withdrawn over the last five years. He never even went out to the pond anymore! Ever since Alex had left, he seemed...odd. Isabel knew he kept the bear and drawing in his desk, and wondered if he even bothered to look at them anymore. He never mentioned the little girl, and she sometimes wondered if she had mistaken his care for her.

"I am fine Isabel, there is no reason to be concerned. You are dismissed," he answered distantly.

Isabel sighed but turned to walk away when the desk phone rang. Seeing as Godric was currently reading the King's quarterly report, she moved back towards the desk.

"Yes?"

Only silence and static answered her. "Is anybody there?" She swore she could hear gasping breaths on the other end. "Listen, if this is a prank call then-"

"M-Ms. Isabel?"

The stuttered, pain filled words stopped her cold. "Alex?" she whispered, vaguely aware that her Sheriff's head had snapped up so quickly that if he had been a human he would have had whiplash. "Are you okay?"

Sobs filled the silence and she saw Godric grip the desk, his eyes fixed attentively on her. It startled her as it was more emotion than she had seen in him in the last five years. It made even her, who had known the Sheriff for centuries, uncomfortable to have so much of his attention focused solely on her.

Barely a second later the desk groaned and the pieces under his hands disintegrated into sawdust. She instinctively froze, the ancient predator in front of her making her hold very, very still. Distantly she supposed that answered her question on whether or not he had cared for the little Fated Mate. It was only the sobbing voice over the phone that broke the feeling of rising power in the room, and regained Isabel's attention.

"N-no, I'm not okay. Ms. Isabel, it hurts so bad! Please, I know you don't like me anymore, and you're m-mad at me but it hurts so bad and I can't get in touch with our Dayman and my dad and brothers are asleep and I'm scared. Please, it _hurts_!"

Isabel cleared her throat, and shifted further away from her watching Sheriff, as if the couple of extra inches would somehow lessen his focus. "Alex, where does it hurt? Where are you?" If her family were still asleep, that meant they had to be on the other side of the globe. She held the phone out to Godric, but he resolutely shook his head, and she mentally rolled her eyes at his stubbornness. Men!

Alex's sobs made the words almost unrecognizable. "My side. It feels like somebody stabbed me, and I'm throwing up and it hurts so bad. Please, Ms. Isabel, make it stop!"

"Where are you?" she coaxed, now extremely worried. Humans were so fragile and the littlest thing could harm them! "We can't send you help unless you tell us where you are."

"Florence, Italy. D-Dad wants me to work on my Italian. He s-says I have a-" she broke off, and the sound of retching took over before she finally managed to continue. "He says I have an odd accent."

Godric was already on the other phone, and Isabel heard him demand to speak with Dr. Ludwig.

"Ms. Isabel?"

The whispered words caught her attention. "Yes, little one?"

"Is…is Mr. Sheriff S…I-I mean, is the Sheriff still mad at me? Does he still hate me?" Alex whispered in a cracked voice.

Isabel saw Godric freeze, and the expression on his normally implacable face made her cringe. He looked like…how did the humans put it? Oh, like he had been kicked in the chest by a mule. Gods above, she was drowning in the power he was giving off, and she wondered if every vampire in his Area could feel his shock and anger.

One minute she was holding the phone, and the next it had been snatched from her, and another was in its place. She could hear Dr. Ludwig's voice yelling, and she raised the new phone up to her ear even as she shamelessly eavesdropped on her Sheriff.

"Little one, I am here." The gentle tone in his voice was one that hadn't been heard in the last five years.

"Mr.…I mean, um, Sheriff Godric?" came the rough and tearful whisper.

"Godric, little one," he corrected when the idea of her using his title revolted him. "You may call me Godric. Now, where exactly in Florence are you?" he coaxed.

"Um….I don't know. In one of the hotels here. Daddy said he owns the penthouse. The hotel is on a hill overlooking the city."

"Is there a large sword over the fireplace in the living room?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, there is."

Godric breathed a sigh of relief as he had been to this particular nest before and remembered its location. After giving directions to Isabel he turned his attention back to Alex. Her pain filled whimpers made him grip the phone so tightly that the plastic began to buckle. A soft purr rumbled from his chest in response to her pain, pain that seemed to hurt him as much as it did her. He felt helpless, a feeling he was in no way accustomed to, and wished that he could be there to soothe her in person.

"Mr…I-I mean Godric. Are…are you still mad at me? Do you still hate me? Why did you never call me?" she asked tearfully. "I'm sorry that I was so bad, and that I ruined your carpet and…and…got dirty when I was supposed to meet the king and…and...that I bothered you all the time by our, I mean, your pond. I'm sorry that I made you take me to the fair and…and I'm sorry for whatever I did that made you not like me anymore…"

It felt like a bolt through his chest, and his purr stuttered to a halt. He could easily remembered her tearful cries for him five years ago, barely the blink of an eye to a vampire of his age, yet the time had seemed to pass at a glacial pace. He mentally swore, realizing that she had thought for years that he hated her over behavior that had made him, for a short time, feel something other than extreme boredom.

She panicked when he stopped the soothing growl-y noise that rumbled down into her bones, and took her mind off her pain. "Please don't hate me anymore, Mr. Sheriff Sir! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I've missed you so much. Please!" she miserably begged as more tears welled, and something in her chest ached and throbbed.

"Little firefly," his voice was whisper soft and brought to mind the warmth and safety she had always felt around him. "My apologizes, young one. I did not realize you had labored under such a belief all these years. I am not, nor was I ever, angry with you. There are other reasons that our separation occurred as it did, and reasons of safety in why contact was not allowed. I have…missed…you as well, little one."

"You did? You're not angry?" she sniffled and curled herself into a small ball. The pain was burning through her side, but she had missed her vampire so much as something in her chest bloomed at the knowledge that he would have called her if he could.

"Then why did you not say goodbye? Did you keep my bear? 'Bunnicula' is still my favorite book. Daddy taught me to read English using it. I just wish..." her words trailed off and she cringed as further agony ripped through her side.

He closed his eyes as her rambling words reached his old and battered heart. His words had not been empty platitudes, he realized, he truly had missed her. Had missed her enough that he had tried his hardest not to think of the bright-eyed child who had brought life into his nest. Who had, in her simple way, tried to keep him from despairing over his past crimes.

He pushed his guilt away as he shot a questioning glance at Isabel, and relaxed at her nod that Dr. Ludwig was on her way. "What do you wish, little Alex?"

"I wish you could have read it to me," Alex said, before she suddenly cried out and a loud thud sounded over the phone.

"Alex!" Godric snapped out, panicked. The emotion was strong enough that he felt his progenies' alarm, but he ignored them and also Isabel's shocked stare at his blatant emotion. He was tense as he heard the little human scramble about and finally answer.

"S-sorry. I dropped the phone. Godric…I don't feel good..." her voice began to fade off at the end.

"Alexandra!" Godric said sternly. "Help is coming, and you will stay on the phone with me. Is that understood?" He winced at the sound of her getting sick in the background. His voice softened, and again took on that gentle tone. "Little one?"

"I-I'm here Mr. Sheriff S….um, Godric."

Before he could reassure her further, he heard a popping sound through the phone.

"Who are you?!" the child weakly demanded.

"Alex, is Dr. Ludwig there?" Godric asked, and ignored Isabel's worried look as they heard Ludwig demand the phone.

"Yes, vampire, I am here. I will call you when I know what's wrong with her."

_Click._

Godric worriedly stared at the phone in his hand. Stunned, he glanced up at his lieutenant. "She thought I was angry with her. That I hated her. If anything, I thought she would have already forgotten the few weeks she spent here."

Isabel stared at her Sheriff like he was insane. "At five-years-old that girl adored you even _before_ you rescued her from her kidnappers. No female, regardless of their age, is going to forget being saved like that! She thought you were better than the human superhero Batman, which your housekeeper assured me was a very big deal to a child. She even named that silly bear she carried everywhere after you, and left it so that you would have 'someone to look after you'! She would light up if you so much as just walked into the room…and you thought she would forget you?" Isabel allowed herself to roll her eyes. Godric was a very intelligent vampire, and a leader she was proud to follow, but he really was clueless sometimes.

She turned to walk away, and paused. "Perhaps you should think of ways to make it up to her now that you know where she is. I've heard that sick humans enjoy flowers." With what could only be called a flounce, Isabel turned on her heel, and stalked out.

Godric sat for a moment, before he raised the phone and dialed for an international operator. Somewhere in Florence there would be a florist who carried purple moonflowers, and he was determined to find them before he went to his day rest.

* * *

Alex struggled to open her eyes. Her head felt all weird and floaty like it wasn't connected to her body, and her side felt oddly tight.

"Girlie, wake up," a rough voice snapped.

"Wha-?" she struggled to say as her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. "Why are there flying kangaroos on the ceiling?" she asked blearily.

"Damn morphine! You humans are so delicate," the voice grumbled. "Wake up and take a sip of water. Your appendix burst three days ago before I got you on the operating table, and you've been one sick girl. Your family has stayed with you at night, but they obviously can't be here during the day. Your Dayman stepped out for a moment but should be back soon."

Alex giggled as the words appeared in the air and looked like balloons as they swirled about. With effort, she managed to turn her head and saw a little old woman that looked vaguely familiar.

Dr. Ludwig sighed at the girl's blank look, and took her vitals. She was recovering well and would be fine…a fact that seemed to escape the increasingly pesky Gaul. Seriously, how many times a day would that vampire call to check on the girl? While serious, the child had already been in the operating room when her appendix ruptured, and it was hardly life threatening. Yet if it wasn't the Texas Sheriff calling for updates, then it was his Dayman making sure that the girl did not need anything while the Gaul was at rest.

She frowned, and made a note on the chart at the girl's slightly faster than normal healing. Also, why in the god's names did that vampire keep sending her moonflowers every day? Granted they died after they bloomed each night, but couldn't he send something less irritating to constantly dispose of? This was a hospital, not a florist shop! Overall she was a very grumpy doctor, as teleporting across the world was hardly relaxing! Dealing with the girl's panicked father and brothers had also been a 'treat'.

Doctor Ludwig rolled her eyes when her phone buzzed, and without looking shoved it at the dazed girl. "Here, you deal with him. He's been annoying my nurses and myself for the last three days so now it's your turn." She turned to leave, and grumbled, "Never would have thought Death to go so soft."

"Who?" Alex asked as the doctor stormed out. A splash of color caught her attention and she turned her head. Moonflowers! A giant vase of them stood on the table next to her bed, their buds currently closed, but she saw several purple petals on the table from last night's blooming.

"Oooh, they're so pretty!" she said, before she remembered the funny little doctor had left. The buzzing in her hand made her jump and look down at the phone. When did that get there? With fumbling fingers she answered.

"Um…hello?"

"…little Alex?"

The accented voice broke through the fog in her mind, and the constant ache in her chest trembled and finally relaxed. She knew that voice…Ugh! why was it so hard to concentrate? She vaguely remembered calling for help…

Oh, look! Pretty flowers! She looked down when her fingers rubbed against a soft leather blanket, and grinned. Someone had brought her favorite jacket! Tears came to her eyes and she sniffled as her smile faded. It was the grey leather jacket that Mr. Sheriff Sir had wrapped around her when he rescued her from the monsters. Ms. Isabel had snuck it into her suitcase when she had left the nest, and she had wrapped it around her each day as she slept. Her dad had even made sure her idiot brothers couldn't tease her about it! She frowned, and shook her head. Wasn't there something about Mr. Sheriff Sir…?

"Alex!"

She jumped, and looked back down at the phone as the world swirled prettily around her bed. When did she get a phone? Had she always had a phone? Was there someone on the other end?

"Yes?" she finally remembered to ask. Who would be on the phone for her?

The gentle voice now sounded worried. "Little firefly, are you well?"

It was Mr. Sheriff Sir! No, she remembered now. _Godric_. He was Godric. He was her Godric, and he wasn't mad at her anymore!

"Godric!" she laughed. "Did you send me flowers? Our flowers? They're so pretty!"

He relaxed, the stress from the last three days finally easing. He had glamoured one of the humans in the nest to explain what a " ruptured appendix" was, and he had been very worried. Especially when the grumpy doctor started refusing to take his calls. He could tell by Alex's slurred words and forgetfulness that she was still rather heavily drugged but she was _alive_.

"Yes I did. I heard that it was traditional for sick humans to receive such gifts."

"They're purple moonflowers! I still have the one you gave me. Gabriel showed me how to press it in a book so it would dry all pretty. I've missed you, have you missed me? Did you know that there are flying kangaroos on my ceiling?" she babbled happily.

Godric relaxed back in his desk chair as a faint smile curved his lips. Her ramblings reminded him of the seventies. "Flying kangaroos?" he teased, and ignored his progenies' sudden interest through their bonds to see why he was in such a relaxed and happy mood. For three days they had been hounding him, and he irritably swatted them away. "That is odd as I have traveled the entire world more times than I care to remember, yet have never seen one." He experienced a flicker of playful mischief he had not felt in decades. "Does it have wings, or does it spin it's tail around like a helicopter?"

Scandalized, Alex scoffed. "Of course it has wings! I wish I could fly. Do you like flying? Bennett told me that you can fly and I think I remember you flying with me." She stopped and fiddled with his jacket that had originally been his. During the first months she had cried into it every night, and it had brought her much comfort over the years. It had soothed the ache she felt in her chest, the one that sometimes made her feel like the world would never feel right again.

"Are…are you sure you're not mad at me?" she finally whispered.

"No, child, I am not. I too have felt…unhappy…at not being able to contact you over the last few years." He was unused to admitting such emotions, and thought of something to distract her. "How old are you now?"

Alex grinned and wiggled her toes through the soft, sparkly cloud that was sitting on them. She wondered what it would be like to fly through a thundercloud. "I'm ten! My birthday is coming up soon, and Dad is already saying something about making sure that no boy starts 'getting funny ideas'. Godric, what did he mean?" she asked, and frowned at a kangaroo that was making funny faces at her. How rude!

She continued before he could get in a word edgewise. "Why would he care about there being boys? My brothers are boys and he doesn't mind them. You're a boy too, and I like you! I'm so excited to be in Florence! Dad has had us living in the middle of nowhere for practically _forever_!" she giggled. "It was fun learning how to survive in the wild and learning about all sorts of school-type things, but I didn't like the martial arts that much. Vampires have an unfair advantage, and I never win!" she pouted, and suddenly yawned. She was so sleepy, but she didn't want to get off the phone with her vampire. She had missed him so much!

Godric's eyes narrowed as an odd emotion went through him. She was far too young for anybody to be looking at her that way! Not for the first time he was thankful that she had not only a father, but three much older brothers who would make sure to keep the riff-raff away from her. Besides, he justified to himself, she would just be hurt if she made any attachment to another before she felt the pull to her mate.

"Your father is right, little one. You should concentrate on your studies, there will be time for such…things…later. When you're older. Much, much, much older."

Alex giggled sleepily and stared happily at her flowers as her eyes grew heavy. Godric was so funny!

"Little one?" her vampire's voice whispered over the phone.

"Hmm?"

He felt almost…nervous, and again ignored his progenies' inquiries over the blocked bond. He also ignored the second phone ringing, knowing that it was probably his son. "Would you like me to read you a story?"

She smiled, and snuggled down in the bed. Her body felt so floaty and she could barely feel any pain. She buried her nose in his jacket, and smiled. She really was too old to be read to, but this was _Godric _offering! "Sure."

Godric opened the bottom drawer of his desk and lifted out his recent purchase. He would never admit to anyone, could barely admit it to himself, but he _may_ have snuck out of his own nest two nights ago to buy the very book in his hands. It had taken four bookstores before he had found the same edition that he had bought her five years ago. Isabel, he knew, would be insufferable if she found out, and would gladly tell his nosy children. He scowled as he thought of the teasing _that _would incur. He glanced down at the small bear and the faded picture that kept it company in the drawer, and cleared his throat.

"'Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery' by James Howe. Chapter One…"

Two hours later he closed the book and smiled as he heard Alex's soft breathing. He glanced at the steel shuttered windows and carefully wiped away the blood that had fallen in a steady stream from his ears and nose as the sun rose higher in the sky. He had lost a fair amount, and would probably need a live feeding later, which disgusted him, but it had been worth it. Even if the little imp had giggled and teased him at his attempt at 'using the funny voices'.

He locked the surprisingly humorous book into the bottom drawer that he had long ago mentally designated as 'hers', and left to go to his rest. The odd feeling in his chest was, for the first time in years, quiet.

* * *

The dark haired woman ghosted through the hospital, invisible to mortal eyes. With a negligent wave of her hands, her magic forced the two guards to fall into a deep sleep.

With easy steps, she entered into the room and stared down at the small girl huddled under a worn leather jacket. She was smaller, and much younger, than she had thought, but she hardened her heart. The child's future mate had killed most of her kind during the vampire-fairy war, and she had been horrified when she realized that the monster that was responsible for so much pain would be granted the honor, love, and power of a Fated Mate. Obviously the gods must have gone insane!

A sudden psychic boom split the air as a man, wings outstretched, crouched in front of the child.

"Amaryanda! What are you doing?" he demanded. He had felt the danger to his charge, and it had been strong enough to rip him away from his current task.

"What am I doing?!" she snapped, gold eyes flashing. "What are you doing? How can you guard her?! She is to be mated to _him!_"

He frowned, but refused to move out of his protective stance. "Have you fallen so far into hatred that you would kill a child for something she cannot control? That you second guess the very gods decision on who is to receive a mate? Things happen for a reason, Amarya!"

The woman looked away and blinked tear-filled eyes. "He hunted us almost to extinction! It is because of him, of his leadership during the war, that we were forced to leave this world for another! Even his own bloodthirsty people fear him! How can he be worthy of a mate, and of any form of happiness, when he has been the ruin of so many?"

"It is not our decision," he replied calmly. "She was given into my care, and I will guard her until she comes of age…even if it is from my own people!"

She was appalled, and could barely believe what she was hearing. "Would you seriously give your charge into his keeping? A monster that will ruin her? One that is incapable of love, mercy, or tenderness? You should have handed her over when you realized whose she was!" she spat, even as shame filled her at her words. She was supposed to protect the innocent, to protect Fated Mates, but how could she when she knew who this one was destined for? It was asking to much! She would at least give the girl a painless death, which was more than any other of their kind would do. It was not fair, but life itself was unfair.

He shook his head, eyes pained. "Sister," he pleaded. "I too was horrified when I discovered who her mate was to be, but I've watched them both over the last few years. He is not the monster that he was eighteen hundred years ago."

"I don't care!" she shrieked. "He deserves to suffer, as we have suffered for centuries at the loss of our loved ones. Of our home! How dare the gods decide that he deserves redemption! That he deserves happiness and peace!"

"This is not our way!" he snarled, and prepared himself to fight his own kind to protect his ward. The anger in his sibling sickened him, and proved that he had chosen correctly five years ago. "You cannot question which commands you follow, and which you will ignore! If you do this, you will lose everything! You ask how I can help her, even knowing whose she is. Sister, if you ever loved me, trust me now…and _look _at her!"

She stopped, faced the small child, opened her magical sight…and jerked back in shock. "Impossible! How…how…?" she stammered.

"I don't know," he admitted, and looked down in fond exasperation at his frustrating ward. Cautiously he began to relax as his sister's anger lessened. "Something happened when they met, something that caused them to exchange a small part of their souls and start a bond that should still be impossible for eight more years. I have yet to figure out how it happened, and trust me when I tell you that I have thought much on the subject! Do you have any idea how difficult it was to block her soul from continually reaching out to his in the months after she left? I was exhausted! Their current bond shouldn't exist, but it does. You can see it between them, stretched and gossamer thin, yet it is still impossibly there, and so must be protected."

"I can cut it and kill it in it's infancy, before either of them feel the effects. He will never know her then, as I doubt the bond would ever be able to reestablish itself. She would live, so technically your duty would be done. Happy?" Amarya asked.

"No! She may live, but they are already bound much closer than I think you understand, and I doubt she would ever recover. More likely she would eventually die of the breaking, and he would follow, unaware of the true reason behind his overwhelming depression. Such bonds are sacred, and must not be touched by outside interference! You know this, you were taught this just as I was so long ago," he snapped, and forgot to enforce the spell to keep his charge unaware.

"What…what's going on? Why are you yellin'?" a sleepy voice yawned.

Amarya froze and watched as the little girl blinked dazed eyes and smiled a gap-toothed grin. She waited for the girl to scream about their wings, but instead she just blinked.

"Are you here to fly with the kangaroos? Did Godric send you to take me for a ride?" the child asked.

Amarya relaxed as she realized the girl was heavily medicated. The Fated Mate was cute enough, she reluctantly decided, and rather surprisingly normal looking. She would have at least expected her to have horns or some other stereotypical 'evil' trait to show her inner malevolent nature. Instead dark red hair and big brown eyes gave her the appearance of innocence, even though she was the soulmate of _him_. She was pale, but with bright red cheeks that showed her ill health, and Amarya struggled to tamp down her instinctive concern. She was not this child's Guardian, thank the gods, and her well-being had little to do with her.

She jumped when the phone the girl clutched in her hand rang. To her horror she realized the softly accented voice on the other end was that of her people's most reviled enemy. She glared at her brother, and rolled her eyes when he pointedly nodded at the child. With their superior hearing not unlike that of a vampire, the conversation was easily overheard.

"Godric!" Alex said happily, and giggled.

"Hello, little firefly." he replied gently. "Are the kangaroos still whirling about your room?"

She smiled and curled up under his jacket, her hand against her aching side. "Yep, and there are pretty people with wings too who came to play with them!"

For a moment Godric was concerned, as the only beings with wings he knew about were not ones he would want around Alex. However, her giggles and words about 'tap dancing flamingos' made him relax. Obviously whatever pharmaceuticals she was on were only feeding her already vivid imagination.

"Calm yourself, little Alex," he murmured as he eyed the time. Daybreak would be soon, and while he would gladly resist the sun's pull, it was getting harder to do with each passing day. Already he had fed more in the last four days since she fell ill than in the last five years combined. While live feedings sickened him and increased the guilt he felt, he needed the strength of fresh blood to continually resist dying for the day.

"Read me more of our story, Godric? Please?" she begged him, and his lips curved up in a slight smile as he opened the bottom drawer of his desk. At least he did not have to worry about his children bothering him, as they had already contacted Isabel to discover the reasons behind his improved mood.

Amarya listened in astonishment as the Gaul, one of the most feared vampires in the world, read a children's book. Not only that, but he willingly used what the girl referred to as 'funny voices' for each character.

She turned and glared. "What is going on? Is Death actually reading a children's book? About a _vampire rabbit _that sucks the juice from vegetables?" she whispered harshly to her silent companion, who only shrugged.

"It's their 'thing'. Every afternoon that she's been here he calls and reads to her from this one book until she falls asleep. He's been resisting the sun for hours every day to do it, too."

"But…why?" she stammered. Even with fresh blood, the weakness that the vampire would experience after days of such behavior would take weeks to fully overcome.

He shook his head. "Look at her, Amarya. Look at their bond, as small and frail as it is."

Again she looked, and what she saw made her mouth drop open. "Is he…is he sending her strength?" she demanded. "From _Texas_?" The bond that had been so transparent and quiet before, now gently pulsed with warm power.

He nodded. "Yes, although it is not a conscious decision on his part. Or on hers. What she is getting may be barely a trickle, but it is enough to have already started to speed her healing."

Amarya continually opened and closed her mouth as words tried to form. Everything she had believed in, everything that she had told herself to justify killing a Fated Mate had just been shattered. When she had discovered that the girl was the future mate of Death, she had not been sure what to think. Her mind had spun with horrified ideas. Perhaps the girl was as evil and twisted as the Gaul? The child would have had to be, she assumed, for her soul to match his! Or perhaps Death had stumbled across the Fated Mate, miraculously recognized her as his, and had decided to twist the girl to fit his undoubtedly nefarious plots. In either case, the girl was lost to evil, and it would be better for the world if she was ended before her mate would gain the power of her blood. Better for her to die rather than the world be cursed with two such horrors!

She was not sure what she had expected, but it had not been this young and innocent child devoid of evil. Instead, the little mate was oh-so-gently wrapped in that impossible bond that did not reek of darkness and hatred, but instead glowed with protective care. For some odd reason it started in her hand and flowed up her arm to her torso, but it _was _there. Yet even more shocking was the fact that the famed monster of her people, the boogeyman that children were told would eat them if they did not behave, was willingly defying the sun to indulge a sick child. Was weakening himself to send her strength. It was…astonishing.

Her attention was brought back as the girl, Alex, fell asleep to the remarkably gentle words that finally murmured a soft goodbye before the call ended.

"Not what you were expecting, was it?" her companion mocked. "Now you know how I felt five years ago!"

"I…" she stared, conflicted, and finally her shoulders slumped.

Before she could say anything, the door slammed open and three snarling Weres burst in. With instinct that had been honed over centuries, the two angels twisted, and attacked in unison.

Amarya felt her brother cast a spell to keep the child asleep as the last thing they needed was for her to panic. She grinned as her brother neatly decapitated two of the intruders with his sword, he had always been flashy, and turned her attention to her own opponent. She rolled her eyes when he barely put up a fight worthy of her abilities, and easily dodged the sloppy punch. Instead of a defenseless child, they had discovered enemies that even vampires were hesitant to fight!

Amarya beat her wings as she gained height, and held her captive up by his throat, sneering as he snapped and snarled and dangled helplessly in the air. She ignored the small gnomish doctor that stood in the doorway and ruthlessly shook the man like a rag doll.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, and made eye contact. Magic swelled as she forced him to tell the truth. Unlike a vampire's glamour, he could try to lie, but the results would be…unpleasant.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he snarled, and then screamed as it felt like every nerve in his body exploded. He lasted barely a minute, she noted with disgust, before he turned on everything he held 'dear' and started squealing like a pig. "The little bitch needs to die. An eye for an eye!" he growled.

Amarya growled, her protective instincts roused. "What did she ever do to you?"

"Her?" he laughed, and spat blood out through his broken teeth. "Nothing. It's her fanger father! He killed the daughter of some high up vampire centuries ago, and now that vampire demands his daughter in return."

"Why are you helping him?" her brother asked from his protective crouch in front of the Fated Mate. Seriously, how many enemies did his charge have? It was enough to give an immortal angel grey hair!

The Were shrieked again as he tried to lie, before he finally broke down. "Our pack is heavily indebted to several bloodsuckers in Canada. He has paid us half the amount we need to gain our freedom, and the other half upon her death." The wolf laughed, and more blood bubbled up through torn lips. "Who would have thought a fanger would give a damn if a human died? Take into account _what _she is, and her death under his care would ruin him both personally and politically."

"Why Weres?" Amarya asked curiously.

The Were weakly rolled his eyes. "Obviously the vampire needed to hire someone else to do the job for him, since her very scent acts as such a strong deterrent to any other corpses. Not to mention what killing a Fated Mates would mean if he was ever discovered! Every vampire would turn against him, and he would be hunted into eternity."

Amarya's eyes narrowed, and her brother growled, but to her surprise it was the doctor who spoke.

"How did you find the girl? It's been five years since you last attacked. You must know she is under the protection of The Council until she comes of age to Search."

The man sneered, even as his eyes started to glaze over. "What has your precious Council ever done for us? Nothing! It was easy to trace the call once she contacted the Gaul. We knew him to be close friends with her father, so we only h-had," he began to gasp, and his voice grew weaker, "had to…to be…patient…" With a last gurgle, he went slack.

Amarya disgustedly dropped the body and looked over at her smirking brother. "What?"

"You protected her. When it came down to it, you protected _his_ future mate!"

She huffed and spun away. "It was instinct and training! They surprised me! Don't take this to mean that I give a damn what happens to her. I will stay my hand, brother, and keep silent…but you know others will eventually notice and come for her."

Doctor Ludwig's eyes narrowed at the two siblings. As part of The Council, she knew how angels were given a Fated Mate to protect…but apparently this one's mate was already known. Something that she had thought was impossible. The male politely coughed to get her attention.

"What?" she snapped.

His golden eyes, so similar to the woman's, remained steady on hers. "You need to inform her family that they must break off all contact with anyone they can be linked to until they either defeat their enemy or she has reached the age to find her mate. I can only protect her from so much considering I'm having to also block her from my own kind. I will only be able to appear at the most dire of circumstances, and she _must _make it to adulthood."

Doctor Ludwig nodded and glanced around at the ruined room. "Sunset will occur soon, and I will inform her family that they must leave the city tonight. Now, make yourself useful and move her to a clean room."

* * *

Godric carefully placed the phone back on its cradle, and stared at the book laying on his desk. It was hard to admit, but the past few days he had looked forward to his talks with Alex. They were a bright spot in an otherwise boring night of continuous paperwork as he listened to her ramble on in her drugged stupor. He had enjoyed making her laugh and smile, even if he really needed to brush up on current human culture to better understand some of the things she said. What, exactly, was a 'boy-band'? The connotation was of course obvious, but he was unsure if she should be exposed to such things at her age… He shook the pointless thoughts off, and felt despair once again threaten to overtake him as he mulled over the recent call.

Doctor Ludwig had answered the call, and he knew immediately that something had happened. When she outlined how, and why, the attack had occurred he had felt his dead heart drop that Alex had been so close to being killed. He agreed that there could be no further contact between the girl and himself until they either dispatched the enemy, or she was grown…by which time she would have already mated and would no longer care to know an old and tired Sheriff from her childhood. No matter what Isabel believed to be true.

He stared at the wood grain on his desk as his thoughts wandered, and he made a mental note to have his nests and resting places regularly swept for monitoring devices. Perhaps he should hire someone who better understood current technology to help 'bring him up-to-date'. He would also put out feelers and call in favors to try and discover just which vampire was behind the Were attacks.

Against his will, his thoughts swung back to where he wished they would not wander, and he closed his eyes. Would she even understand why he could no longer talk to her? Would she once again believe that he did not care? That thought made him frown, and with a vicious twist of power, he clamped his bonds closed. At the moment he could tolerate no emotions besides his own.

His heart strangely heavy, he placed the book back into its drawer and locked it safely away. With a resigned sigh, he turned to his stack of paperwork and once again allowed the stress and obligations of his work to consume him. The Great Revelation was on the horizon…perhaps this was for the best so that he could give his full attention to making sure everything ran smoothly.

The ache in his chest meant nothing, he told himself, and forcibly ignored it…just as he did the contents of his locked desk drawer.


End file.
